Five Years Later
by MysticalGoddessOfWords
Summary: Five years is a long time. A lot can change. And a lot can stay the same. What happens when Alison and Emily see each other again at Hanna's wedding? My version of the time jump. AU as of the end of episode 06x05.
1. Chapter 1

This is my last story. I suffered a stroke a few weeks ago. Now my brain is not working so well so writing is out.

Fortunately this story was already complete. I just didn't have time to post it.

I will finish writing _Breathe Again_ someday. You have my word.

Thank you for reading. I am so grateful to have been able to share my stories with all of you.

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 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything PLL. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.**

So this is the result of 3 nights of insomnia this past weekend. I should have been editing Chapter 8 of _Breathe Again_ but I couldn't get this idea out of my freaking head. I don't seek out spoilers but I can't help hearing some of them. This is my version of what happens after the time jump so everything that's happened on the show up to episode 06x05 applies here.

For the purposes of this story, Charles/A was alive and during the girl's final confrontation with him it was revealed that Cece was working for him all along. The details of the how and why isn't addressed because it's irrelevant for the story I'm telling here. But on a side note - I would both love and hate if Cece was on the A-team. Talk about inner conflict, huh?

This is only two chapters. Both are completely written and edited. I'll post the second one in a couple of days.

Thanks, as always, for reading and reviewing. Enjoy!

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 **Five Years Later…..**

Alison's eyes slid to the " _Welcome to Rosewood_ " sign on the side of the road as the car drove past it. She felt the ghost of a twinge in her chest as she entered the town limits for the first time in over five years.

Had it really been that long?

The final showdown with Charles and Cece was a blood bath and Alison had been air lifted to the University of Pennsylvania Presbyterian Hospital, after taking bullet to the chest that had been meant for Hanna. It was touch and go for a while but she pulled through, although she had to endure months of recovery.

By the time she was released from the rehab center, all her friends had graduated and left Rosewood so she had nothing and no one there to go back to. Her father never wanted to step foot in the town again and sold their house to the first person who made him an offer. So as soon as she was released, Alison, Jason and their dad moved to Los Angeles. She got her GED and then attended UCLA where she majored, ironically, in psychology.

But one afternoon in her freshman year, while sitting in a café just off campus, a man came up to her and asked if she was a model. She had assumed it was a pick up line but soon discovered he was a talent agent. Fashion Designer Roberto Cavalli was looking for someone young and fresh to be the face of his new summer line.

And so Alison's career was born. For the past four and a half years it had been a whirlwind but one the blonde loved. Alison had always flourished in the spotlight and she was certainly in it now.

When the wedding invitation had come in the mail, it was unexpected but not a complete surprise. All her former friends had left for college while she was still hospitalized and she hadn't seen or spoken to any of them, save one, since the weekend before they all left. They visited her at the rehab facility and all promised to keep in touch. But like so many promises of that kind, when childhood friends go their separate ways to college, the intention and the practice of keeping that promise were two very different things.

The only one of her childhood friends Alison had seen was Hanna, a handful of times, when Alison was in New York for a fashion show or photo shoot. It had surprised both of them when they ran into each other on the street outside Nordstrom's on 5th Avenue a little over 2 years ago. It was awkward at first but something compelled Alison to invite her former friend to lunch and Hanna accepted.

Back in high school, once Alison was released from prison and the girls were released from the dollhouse, the two blondes had tentatively decided to try to be friends again. Amidst the chaos with Charles, it never went beyond just trying to survive and solve the mystery of her brother and Cece. But after the distance of the entire country and the span of almost three years, the two found they could spend short amounts of time together and actually enjoy themselves.

Alison's face, body and name were plastered all over billboards and magazine covers, both nationally and internationally. Her La Perla lingerie ads frequently flashed prominently in Times Square, so Hanna was fully aware of what her blonde friend had been up to. But Alison was pleased to discover that Hanna was studying fashion design. After their first meet up, Alison got her into a couple of the shows during fashion week and the blonde vowed she'd owe Alison forever for it, especially after she landed an internship with Michael Kors.

But all Alison had asked in return was a hug and another chance to be the kind of friend she always should have been. Granted, they weren't on each other's speed dials, but whenever Alison was in New York, she and Hanna always got together and either had lunch or dinner to catch up.

Alison knew Hanna and Caleb were still dating but wasn't aware they'd gotten engaged because it had been well over six months since they'd last seen or spoken to one another. She also wasn't aware that Hanna had her address in Malibu, but the blonde had always been more resourceful than most people gave her credit for and she was marrying a computer hacker after all.

The topic of their old friends was always mutually off limits so Alison had no idea what any of their lives were like beyond where they'd gone when they left her room that day. But when the invitation announcing Hanna and Caleb's nuptials arrived in her mailbox, Alison decided she needed to go back and put a final rest to her past.

Emily wrote to her a few times that first year but then the letters had stopped after the brunette started dating a girl from school. Alison's brow furrowed as the scenery passed in front of her eyes. She still felt the loss of Emily in her life so acutely that sometimes it felt like a physical ache. Most days and weeks and months she could ignore it. But every once in a while she'd become overwhelmed by it and she would find herself waking in a stranger's bed after a night of overindulgence. Sometimes it was a man. Sometimes it was a woman. Once it was both.

She knew seeing Emily this weekend was going to fuck with her head and her heart, but she couldn't pass up the opportunity to see the brunette again; if for no other reason than to finally put closure to the still ever present feelings she had for her first real love. Hanna had accused Alison, once, of being a masochist and the blonde wondered if that was exactly why Hanna invited her.

Alison glanced over at the brunette dozing in the seat beside her. Andrea was her latest flavor of the month, although their time together was going on almost a year. She liked the girl better than anyone else she'd been with in a long time. But they weren't serious or exclusive and, as the driver turned the corner onto Main Street, Alison began to seriously question her decision to invite Andi to be her "plus one" at the wedding. But she didn't want to show up alone and there hadn't been anyone else in her life since John, almost a year ago.

For a moment she chuckled to herself. She was sure it was going to blow all her friends' minds that she was dating a girl; if you could categorize what she and Andrea did as dating. They had a good time together, enjoyed each other's company, and fucked on a semi regular basis. But Alison didn't do relationships. Her life was too busy to get bogged down by a relationship that wasn't the one she truly wanted.

Andrea's eyes fluttered open as the car came to a stop in front of the only hotel in the town of Rosewood. It was an independently owned "boutique" hotel, just on the outskirts of the town center, which had been built after Alison left. But it didn't look too bad. Her career and lifestyle afforded Alison the ability to stay in some of the most exclusive and expensive hotels in the world. But Alison thought she could handle what would surely be primitive accommodations for one weekend.

"Hey, are we here already?" Andrea yawned as she sat up and looked around.

"Already?" Alison laughed at the sleepy tone because Andrea could sleep anywhere. The driver opened her door and the blonde climbed out of the car.

"This is our hotel?" Andrea asked as she stepped out behind Alison.

"Yeah." Alison said, rummaging through her purse looking for the reservation as the driver removed their luggage from the trunk and carried it into the front door of the hotel.

"It's kind of small," Andrea mused as she looked at the three story building in front of her.

"It's Rosewood," Alison murmured, amused, as she started walking toward the front door with her reservation in hand. Andrea, although very sweet, under Alison's influence and exposed to her very lavish lifestyle, had turned into an even bigger snob than the blonde.

Alison stepped into the air conditioned lobby before signing the receipt for the car service and walking up to the check in desk.

"Good afternoon, Miss DiLaurentis. Welcome to the Rosewood Inn & Suites," the woman greeted knowing who the blonde was before she could introduce herself.

That happened a lot.

"Hi," Alison said as she handed her reservation and credit card to the woman behind the counter.

"I see you'll be staying with us for two nights in the presidential suite."

Alison smirked because she could only imagine what a small hotel in Rosewood would categorize as a presidential suite.

"You're already pre-checked in," the woman continued as she motioned to the bellhop standing nearby. "Adam, please take Miss DiLaurentis's bags to her room."

Adam, who couldn't have been more than twenty, stepped up and his eyes widened as he saw Alison, recognizing her immediately.

But he didn't move. He just stood there staring as Alison narrowed her eyes at him.

"Adam," the woman said again, this time more sharply, as she motioned to Alison and Andrea's luggage. "The bags please."

"Uh… yes, right away," he shook his head, stuttering, before grabbing the suitcases and bolting toward the stairs.

Andrea snickered from where she stood beside Alison, used to this kind of reaction from both men and women when the blonde was around.

"I'm sorry about that Miss DiLaurentis," the woman apologized.

Alison waved a hand at her as she looked around the nicely appointed and modernly decorated lobby. "No worries."

The woman smiled as she handed Alison back her credit card. "The car rental you requested was delivered a short time ago and the keys are already in your suite. How many keys to the room would you like?"

"Two is fine."

The woman looked from Alison over to Andrea who was texting on her phone.

"Uh," she said hesitantly. "The presidential suite only has a king bed in the bedroom."

Alison stopped her perusal of the lobby and arched her brow. "And your point is?"

The woman cleared her throat. "The room next to your suite is available. It adjoins the suite with a door off the living room and can be used as a second bedroom. Would you like that or would you like me to have housekeeping switch out the sofa in the living room for a sleeper sofa?"

Alison narrowed her eyes as annoyance flooded her body. "That won't be necessary. Now can I please have my keys?"

"Of course, ma'am," the woman said and her judgmental tone grated on Alison's nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard.

The blonde leaned a little closer and growled in a low voice. "Call me ma'am again and I'll have your ass fired."

The blonde turned around, intending to storm off, but, instead, came face to face with Hanna and Caleb.

"What?" Alison snapped as she glared at them, knowing they just overheard her threaten the clerk.

"Good to see you again, Alison," Caleb said as Hanna just shook her head and reached out to hug Alison.

"Be nice to the hotel staff, Ali. Rosewood is still a small town and there aren't many people to replace her if you send her scurrying off in tears."

The woman behind the counter scoffed under her breath and walked away as Alison hugged Hanna back, tentatively, unused to physical displays of affection.

But her voice was anything but tentative as she responded.

"I'm twenty three years old," Alison snapped again although with slightly less heat than a minute ago. "No one should be calling me ma'am unless I'm in the south."

Hanna rolled her eyes as she stepped back. "Glad to see you haven't changed that much. I was beginning to wonder if aliens had taken over your body."

"Bite me," Alison replied with a scowl and then both girls laughed as Caleb and Andrea looked at each other.

"Hey, I'm Caleb," he greeted as he held out his hand to the brunette.

"Andi," she smiled as she shook it.

"I'm glad you came. I wasn't sure if you would," Hanna said genuinely as she took Caleb's hand in her own again.

Alison smirked as her annoyance slipped away. "You were nice enough to send the invitation. It would have been rude to decline."

"Uh huh," Hanna said knowingly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Alison asked as she gave the blonde a long look.

"Not a thing," Hanna replied cryptically before her eyes slid over to Andrea.

"I'm Hanna," she introduced herself. "Are you Ali's assistant?"

"Hell no!" Andrea scoffed and Alison burst out laughing. Hanna and Caleb looked at each other questioningly.

Alison continued to chuckle. "Andi's my plus one."

"Is that what you refer to us as? Really," Andrea snorted as she shook her head.

"What do you want me to say?" Alison shot back, her annoyance returning.

"How about giving me the credit of 'friend with benefits' at least?" Andrea smirked. She knew Alison well enough by now to not be offended by her lack of commitment.

Now it was Alison's turn to roll her eyes. "Get over yourself," she replied as she looked at Hanna and Caleb again. Hanna was eyeing her curiously while Caleb didn't seem fazed at all.

"You're just always full of surprises, aren't you?" Hanna said with an inquisitive tone. "When I saw Andi's name on your reply card I assumed she was a _he_."

"That's what happens when you go making assumptions," Alison shot back with a smirk. "You do know what the first three letters of that word spell, right?"

"Shut up, bitch." Hanna grabbed Alison by the arm. "Come on; let's get you settled in your room."

"Why are you here greeting us?" Alison asked suspiciously as she let Hanna drag her across the lobby to the stairs. Of course the hotel didn't have an elevator. At least it was only three stories. "And why couldn't you get married somewhere that had a real hotel?"

"Now who needs to get over themselves? Stop being such a snob," Hanna laughed.

Andrea chuckled behind them while Caleb appeared to hold his breath waiting for the expected blow up. But Alison ignored Hanna as they began ascending the stairs.

"And almost all the out of town guests are staying here, since, well, it is the only decent hotel in Rosewood," Hanna continued with a roll of her eyes. "So we've been here greeting everyone today."

Alison glanced over at Hanna as they reached the landing of the second floor. "Don't you have more important things to do? Or are you forgetting you're getting married tomorrow?"

Hanna clucked her tongue. "Everything is set. My mom and Carolyn have everything under control. And if I think about it I might throw up," Hanna added as she blanched. "So I'm just pretending it's just a regular day except people are visiting me."

"I wonder if I should take offense to that." Caleb mused from behind them and Hanna looked over her shoulder at him as they reached the landing of the top floor.

"You know what I mean, baby," Hanna cooed and Alison looked at her friend like she had two heads.

"Since when do you coo?" Alison asked as they reached the double doors of the presidential suite. She slid the key into the lock.

"Every time she's sarcastic, which is a hell of a lot of the time," Caleb said as they stepped into Alison's suite.

Hanna pressed a loud wet kiss to Caleb's cheek before she looked around the room. "My aunt Janie wanted this suite. She's rich and snobby, kinda like you, but I refused to let her have it because I knew you'd want it."

Alison's eyes followed Hanna's around the room. It wasn't bad for small town, USA, but it was definitely not the Ritz. Andrea walked over and sat on the sofa.

"You can thank me now," Hanna said with a grin and flopped down onto one of the oversized living room chairs.

"Don't hold your breath," Alison replied as she tossed her purse on the table behind the sofa.

"What? It's nice in here," Hanna scowled and Alison realized she was offending the blonde.

"It's great, Hanna," she said sincerely. "Thank you for not letting your snobby aunt have this suite," she added with a quirk of her lips.

"You're such a fucking liar," Hanna replied with a snort but then she stood up and walked over to stand in front of Alison. "So the rehearsal dinner is at seven on the restaurant patio."

"I'm not in the wedding party," Alison said with a look of surprise.

"You don't need to be. I can invite anyone I want to my rehearsal dinner and I've invited you…. and _Andi_ , or course," she added as she glanced over at the brunette.

"The reception isn't here, is it?" Alison looked horrified at the thought.

"The restaurant here is one of the best in Rosewood, bitch," Hanna scowled again as she shoved Alison, who shoved her back. "But no it's not. It's at the Country Club."

Andrea snickered from her place on the sofa. "No one usually gets away with calling Ali a bitch and lives to tell the tale. You must be something special there Hanna because you've done it twice now and she hasn't ripped your head off."

"Oh, I am something very special," Hanna replied with a smirk. "Come on downstairs. We're all hanging on the back patio drinking."

"Who's all?" Alison asked trying to keep the curiosity out of her voice.

"Carolyn, Spencer and Toby. He's Caleb's best man," Hanna said as if Alison would care. "Aria and Fitz, and a couple of my friends from school and work. It's no big deal, Ali. We're just drinking mojitos and catching up."

Alison both wanted and dreaded Hanna would say Emily's name. But when she didn't, the blonde hoped she hid her disappointment. Then again Alison wasn't so sure she was ready to see the brunette yet so it was probably for the best.

"Is there a pool here?" Andrea asked as she stood up.

"Not near the patio where we are but there's one on the other side of the hotel, just off the east side of the lobby," Caleb offered from his spot still by the door.

"I need to freshen up first." Alison ran her fingers through her long blonde hair as she shook her head. "It was a long flight."

"Yeah, me too," Andrea said as she started toward the bedroom. "Let me go first please. I take way less time than you."

"On that note, I'm gonna head back down," Caleb said as motioned his head toward the door, clearly bored.

"I'm gonna wait for Ali," Hanna replied as she waved him away. "We'll be down in a few minutes."

Once Caleb was gone Hanna looked at Alison. "I really am glad you came, Ali," she said sincerely.

"Thanks for inviting me." Alison smiled, just as sincerely, truly grateful for the chance to see her old friend marry the love of her life; because the blonde doubted she would ever be given the chance to marry hers.

"Em's coming. Her plane was delayed in Providence but she should be here soon," Hanna said casually as she picked at some imaginary lint on her dress.

"Why did you just tell me that?" Alison asked sharply.

"Huh?" Hanna asked like she had no idea what Alison was talking about.

"What are you up to Hanna?" Alison asked in a low voice as she narrowed her eyes.

Hanna shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing. I just thought you might've wanted to know."

Alison didn't believe the innocent act Hanna was putting on. Not for a minute.

But before Alison could demand a better answer, Hanna's phone rang and her eyes lit up when she saw who it was. "I've got to take this. I'll just wait for you guys in the hall," Hanna said quickly as she turned. "Don't take too long freaking long though. You look fine. We all knew you before you were a super model so we don't give a shit if every hair isn't in place."

Then Hanna bolted out the door as she lifted her phone to her ear.

"Where the hell are you already?" Alison heard Hanna ask but the door shut behind her and the blonde was distracted as Andrea came out of the bedroom dressed in a short green jumpsuit.

"That bathroom is to die for," she said as she grinned. "I never would have expected it in Podunk, PA."

"You can lay off ragging on the town I grew up in, Andi," Alison said as she shook her head and walked into the bedroom to see it was nice enough. The bed looked comfortable and the linens looked clean and fresh.

She unzipped her garment bag and pulled out several dresses, including a pink floral sundress she planned to wear to the wedding, and hung them in the closet.

Andrea followed her and flopped back onto the bed.

"So Hanna seems nice," she commented casually as she watched Alison slip out of her jeans and t-shirt, standing in only her bra and panties as she pulled more clothes out of her suitcase and put them in the drawers. The blonde always dressed down when she traveled so she could avoid being recognized. Of course, most of the time, it never did any good because she was Alison DiLaurentis and her face and body were plastered all over the world.

But she tried anyway.

"She is," Alison replied as she laid a blue chiffon, two piece, short set with crop top on the bed.

"Why don't you ever talk about any of your high school friends?" Andrea asked curiously as she pushed up and leaned on her elbow.

Alison didn't answer her and just grabbed her toiletry bag and a set of clean lingerie before continuing into the bathroom. It was half the size as the bedroom but with very modern amenities.

Alison pinned her hair on top of her head and turned on the hot water in the glass enclosed shower. She stepped inside, soaping up and rinsing off quickly, just wanting to get the travel sweat off her, before stepping out again. She found Andrea leaning against the counter watching her.

"Is there something you wanted?" Alison asked as she dried off and then slipped into a new set of sky blue lace lingerie that matched her eyes.

"Are you just going to ignore the question I asked?"

"What do you want me to say?" Alison snapped, scowling at Andrea in the mirror as she started reapplying her makeup. She kept it light because it was the middle of the afternoon and she didn't want to come off as a pretentious and vain super model to her old friends. She was with most of the world but she didn't need to be that way with the girls.

"I want to know why you never talk about your old friends. Hanna was nice. Are the rest of them ogres or something?" the brunette teased.

"My past is none of your business, Andi," Alison replied firmly. "Don't push this."

Andrea reached a hand out and brushed her fingers down Alison's bare back. "Your past is common knowledge, Ali. That's the problem with being a celebrity."

Alison clenched her teeth as she pulled away and walked back into the bedroom to get dressed. The story of what happened in Rosewood had come out about a year after she debuted on the modeling scene. Some sleazy reporter, who she turned down when he asked her for a date, decided he would get even by digging up dirt on her. He did his due diligence and even went to Rosewood, where he got one of the newbies in the police department to talk to him about what happened.

Lorenzo, who she had kept on fairly friendly terms with even after they parted ways, had called to warn her about the reporter after he caught the new cadet giving the interview. But it was too late and the reporter sold the story to TMZ. When it hit the airwaves, it followed her for a good six months, despite her publicist's best efforts to quell it. It finally died down but Alison wanted to sue the reporter for libel. However, her lawyer informed her that she couldn't because the facts of the story were true.

Alison did get some semblance of revenge though. She refused to give the publication the reporter worked for any more interviews. Even when he changed jobs and went to work for another magazine, she suddenly informed her publicist that publication was no longer on her approved list. When the publication discovered the reason why, the reporter was very quickly reassigned and then fazed out of the organization.

The last she heard from her legal team, he now worked for some obscure paper somewhere in the Midwest.

"I don't speak about my past with anyone, Andi. And that includes you." Alison slipped into her shorts and top. "All you need to know is they were my friends when we were teenagers, but we went our separate ways. End of story."

"After you were all almost killed by your brother and his psycho minion who had stalked you and tried to kill you multiple times."

"Drop it, Andi. I mean it," Alison snapped as she glared angrily at the brunette. She didn't need to be reminded of what happened all those years ago. Despite her best efforts, she'd never been able to forget. "Or I'll just have the car service come back to pick you up and you can go back to LA."

After a long staring contest, neither one of them were willing to concede, Andrea finally pushed off the doorjamb. "Whatever," she said as walked out of the bedroom. "Hurry up. You look gorgeous, as usual, and I want a mojito."

That was the one thing Alison liked about Andrea and why there were still doing whatever it was they were doing. She never pushed Alison and didn't get offended when the blonde told her to mind her own fucking business.

There was a knock on the door and then Hanna's voice called from the living room. "Ali, what the hell is taking you so fucking long? My wedding is going to be over before we get out of this room."

Alison scoffed under her breath at Hanna's dramatics as she took one last look at herself in the mirror before walking into the living room.

"Keep your panties on, Jesus," Alison said as she grabbed her ID and credit card out of her wallet. She slipped them into her pocket before following a glaring Hanna out of the room.

"Who said I'm wearing any," Hanna teased as her glare slipped away and she grinned at Alison.

"Well that makes two of us then," Alison said, although it was a lie. Andrea snorted and Hanna threw her head back and laughed as she grabbed Alison's arm and tugged her down the hallway again.

"I've freaking missed you, Ali."

##################

Emily stepped out of the car and stretched before straightening her uniform jacket. When she joined the Navy five years ago, she thought she'd be able to travel in NWU's like her dad did. He always said how comfortable they were for long distance travel. But the Navy had stricter uniform regulations, especially for officers. If an officer didn't wear civilian clothes they were required to wear Service Dress Blues for travel on commercial, regional and international flights. She'd only, officially, been an officer for a few weeks, having just graduated from the Naval Academy in May, but she took her rank very seriously.

Emily had barely caught her flight out of Providence even though it had been almost an hour delayed. She'd been attending a weeklong series of trainings at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport. Even though she was entering aviation school at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, in a few weeks, as a future pilot who would be flying over oceans, she was required to understand the workings of undersea warfare. She'd just finished her last simulated computer training that morning but didn't have time to change into her civilian clothes for her flight; so she had to remain in her officer's uniform.

By the time she landed in Philly and met up with Melanie, she just wanted to get to the hotel before worrying about changing.

"This is kinda cute," Melanie said as she walked around the car to meet up with Emily at the trunk.

Emily smiled at her girlfriend of almost a year and a half, but her smile didn't meet her eyes. Things with Melanie had been strained lately, since even before her graduation. Emily was being sent to Florida for her initial aviator training but then would be stationed either in Florida, Colorado, or Texas for the remainder of her flight training. Not one of those states was appealing to her girlfriend, who had just been hired by an accounting firm in Baltimore.

Neither one of them could come up with a solution to the very real separation that was looming. And it was putting even more stress on their already strained relationship.

"It's new," Emily said as she lifted Melanie's suitcase out of the trunk before grabbing and hiking her duffel bag over her shoulder. "It wasn't here when I left five years ago."

Emily never came back to Rosewood after her mom moved to Texas to be with her dad. After everything that happened here she didn't ever want to step foot in the town again. But there wasn't anything she wouldn't do for Hanna, so here she was back in the place she had so desperately tried to forget.

She and Hanna had kept in touch over the years but only saw each other a handful of times. Emily needed distance, from everyone, in order to try to move past what happened. So she fell out of touch with all of her old friends for the most part. She and Spencer and Aria had talked on the phone once in a while at the beginning, but then that stopped pretty much after the first year.

And Alison… well…. she was a whole other story.

"Are you going to act distant toward me the entire weekend?" Melanie accused as she grabbed the handle of her suitcase from Emily's hand roughly.

Emily sighed. "Mel, I don't want to fight with you this weekend, okay. I don't know why you think I'm acting distant."

Melanie crossed her arms over her chest as she scoffed. "You didn't even kiss me hello when I picked you up at the airport."

"Seriously? That's what you're upset about?" Emily shook her head frustrated before she leaned toward her girlfriend to give her a kiss but Melanie just stepped back.

"Don't patronize me, Emily."

The brunette let out a frustrated growl. "I don't know what you want from me, Mel. I just can't do anything right these days."

"Em!" Hanna's voice squealed loudly from the entrance to the hotel. Emily barely had time to look up before the blonde was barreling into her, wrapping both her arms and legs around her, hugging her fiercely.

Emily grunted out a laugh as she dropped her duffle bag and caught Hanna, steadying them just before the blonde pulled them both down to the ground.

"Jeez, Hanna, kill me why don't you," Emily teased as she hugged the blonde just as fiercely once she got her balance back.

"I've missed you so fucking much," Hanna squealed into Emily's neck before her voice turned scolding. "Don't you ever stay away that long again!"

Emily chuckled in her ear. "I missed you too, Han."

Hanna released her after a minute and when she stepped back Emily saw Caleb and Melanie saying hello.

"Hey Squid," Caleb greeted Emily with the common Navy nickname as he took his turn hugging her.

"Hey Hacker," Emily smirked once she stepped back.

"Oh, hey Mel," Hanna squealed again as she bounced over and hugged the brunette.

Melanie shot Emily a panicked look like she thought Hanna was going to jump on her too. The two had only met once and Hanna was decidedly less huggy last time.

"Unhand my girlfriend Hanna," Emily teased as she laughed. She stepped closer to Melanie and reached for her hand once Hanna released her. She gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Oh shut up, Em. I can put my hands on anyone I want to. It's my wedding."

"That's her excuse to get away with anything she wants this weekend," Caleb chuckled indulgently.

"And I'm going to milk it for everything it is worth," Hanna replied as she stuck her tongue out at him.

Emily smiled, genuinely smiled, at her blonde friend. God she'd missed her.

Hanna gave Emily the once over. "Damn you look hotter in uniform than I thought you would. If I was gay I would be totally into you right now."

Emily choked out a laugh. "Uh… thanks… I think."

"Come on, let's get you checked in and then you can join us on the patio. Everyone is there and we're all getting drunk on mojitos."

"I'll go park the car while you check in," Melanie said as she forced a smile.

"Okay," Emily said as she sighed. She was beginning to wish she hadn't asked Melanie to attend the wedding with her. She wanted to enjoy this weekend. It was the first time she was seeing her old friends all together in five years and she didn't need any drama.

And Hanna didn't need any drama during her wedding either.

After leaving Rosewood, Emily attended the University of Texas at San Antonio, near where her father was stationed, at Fort Sam Houston, before applying to the U.S Naval Academy. When Emily decided to enter the military, her father was disappointed that she didn't follow in his footsteps in the Army. But she wanted to be a pilot and the Army was a primarily land-based division of the US Military.

She needed a major change. And she needed to take control of her life. After feeling helpless and defenseless for so long, Emily _needed_ to do something to feel safe, even though she knew A/Charles and Cece were finally both truly dead and buried.

Her spotty high school record, due to all the trauma she and her friends lived through, resulted in Emily only receiving acceptance to the University of Texas. She only applied there as a last resort. But beggars can't be choosers, so she enrolled. She had to get out of Rosewood; had to get as far away as possible for her own sanity. Her father had been stationed in Texas long enough that she qualified for resident tuition, so it seemed like a no brainer for her to get a semester under her belt so she could then apply to the Naval Academy.

She joined the Navy ROTC and then submitted her application to Annapolis in January of the following year. She was smart and her grades and preliminary test scores reflected her intelligence, but the odds of her being accepted were still stacked against her, until she received a nomination from the US Congressman from the district her parents lived in. Her father had known the man for several years and her mom volunteered on his reelection campaign the previous year. That nomination is what sealed the deal and Emily was accepted into the next incoming class.

It was a dream come true for her and just what she needed to put everything behind her.

And everyone.

She and her friends, despite how much they loved each other, needed a clean break from each other. The scars left from everything that happened before, during, and after the dollhouse were still too raw and deep for all of them, and they each needed to heal in their own way. They'd vowed to not lose touch, but they did, and if Emily was honest she was one of the worst culprits. She pulled away from all of them, especially Alison.

Right after she started at the Academy, she met a girl in her class and she dove into a relationship with her very quickly. Emily tended to fall fast and hard and she ignored the warning signs that something just wasn't right. She did it with Talia. She did it with Sara. And she did it again with Olivia. She was desperate to move on from the lingering feelings she carried for Alison. The blonde had been dating Lorenzo at the time Cece revealed she was working with Charles. That reveal had crushed Alison and, with her physical injuries from the final showdown, the blonde was not in any emotional state to deal with Emily's profession of her feelings.

So once again the brunette buried her feelings deep and suffered in silence.

When she met Olivia, one of the other plebes who lived on her floor, the blonde reminded her of Alison. She knew it was completely unhealthy to start a relationship with her, especially since it violated conduct rules. The two of them were able to keep their budding relationship a secret for almost two months.

But that's when things started to change.

Olivia started acting jealous and irrational whenever Emily spoke to any other women, even her roommates. When Olivia started to become violent, Emily knew she had to end it. But it wasn't that easy. She'd been stalked already, and there was no freaking way she was going to live through that again, so she reported it to her commanding officer, having to confess that she had violated the rules. An inquiry was initiated and during the proceedings Olivia melted down and was discharged and forced to leave Annapolis. Two weeks later she was found hanging in a hotel bathroom down on the wharf.

Emily felt awful, partially blaming herself, and was forced by her CO to seek counseling. She was also reprimanded and put on probation for the remainder of her freshman year for violating the code of conduct. But at least she didn't get kicked out of the Academy. Needless to say she remained single for most of the remainder of her time at Annapolis, but finally met Melanie at one of the bars during her midterm leave in spring semester of junior year.

Melanie was studying at the University of Baltimore and again Emily fell hard and fast. And Melanie seemed to as well. Although it took some juggling, because Baltimore was almost twenty five miles from Annapolis, they managed to make it work.

Things had been going well until just the last few months when the reality of Emily leaving hit home for both of them. Melanie didn't want to move to any of the states Emily would most likely be stationed, so it seemed inevitable that they'd be going their separate ways. But neither of them wanted to be the one to end it so they just kept dragging it on.

Melanie was a procrastinator so Emily knew she would be the one to have to do it. But she decided to wait until after Hanna's wedding because she didn't want to attend the event alone. Now, based on Melanie's sullen mood, Emily thought she would have been better going stag.

"Is everything okay?" Hanna asked as Melanie got into the car and drove across the lot to park. The blonde was always too observant for her own good.

"Yeah," Emily forced a smile and she hoped Hanna couldn't see through it. She didn't want to bring the blonde down with her troubles, especially not this weekend. "We're fine."

"Okay," Hanna said like she didn't believe her but the blonde didn't push it and Emily was grateful. She and Caleb just shared an odd looked as Hanna slid her arm through Emily's and guided the brunette toward the front door.

The sound of loud horns and screeching tires came from across the street and the three of them turned around to see an SUV just miss colliding with a City bus. But the bus still sideswiped a Mercedes Sedan that was parked next to the curb.

"Ouch," Caleb said but it wasn't the sight of the accident that caused Emily's body to freeze in its spot. It was the image on the side of the bus, a blonde, smiling sexily over her shoulder as flower petals fluttered down over her from above. The entire side of the bus was taken over by an ad for a new fragrance from Estee Lauder called "Girl Crush".

And smack in the middle was Alison's face.

Emily felt all the air leave her body. She'd seen Alison's ads over the years. She purchased every magazine on which the blonde graced the cover. And it certainly wasn't the first bus she'd seen with Alison on the side of it. But no matter how often she did, the sight of the blonde always took her breath away.

"Em?" Hanna said her name and the brunette turned to look at her friend. Hanna's eyes held understanding and she slid her fingers through Emily's and squeezed before she looked over at Caleb. They shared another look and Emily wondered if that kind of silent understanding was normal with the person who was your other half.

Emily had never had that with anyone. Before Alison went missing, the brunette thought she might've had something similar to it with Alison, because it felt like the blonde could see into her very soul sometimes. She would instinctively know, without words, just what Emily needed. But maybe that was just Alison's ability to manipulate her.

When the blonde returned they never had the chance to find out if there could be anything real between them after Alison told her their kisses weren't just for practice. Everything went to hell when Toby's house blew up and A resurfaced.

They shared one beautiful night together and then pretended it didn't happen. They never spoke another word of it. They were both at fault for that but there was a lot they were dealing with. Once Charles and Cece were dead, Emily should have told Alison the truth. But she could see how crushed the blonde was by the betrayal of someone she trusted implicitly and Emily didn't want to add anything more to what Alison was dealing with. More than once over the years Emily wondered just how different her life would be if she'd just taken the chance to tell Alison her real feelings.

"I need a drink," Emily sighed as they continued up the steps and through the front entrance of the hotel.

After she checked in, Hanna wouldn't let her go to her room first to change. She insisted that Emily keep her uniform on.

"Come on, Em. It's my wedding. You can't deny me anything on my wedding weekend," Hanna pouted as she fluttered her eyes.

"She really is milking that excuse for all it's worth, huh," Emily said drolly to Caleb.

"You have no idea," Caleb sighed dramatically but his eyes held nothing but love for the blonde in front of him. The sight made Emily smile.

Melanie walked into the hotel lobby with her suitcase in tow and Emily realized she was so caught up in seeing Alison's face on the side of the bus that she'd forgotten to grab it.

"I guess it's a good thing this is a small town," Melanie muttered loud enough for Emily to hear as she walked up.

"I'm sorry, Mel," Emily apologized feeling guilty because she knew Melanie had probably also noticed Alison's face on the side of the bus.

Melanie knew the basics of her past with Alison. Emily had admitted Alison was her first love when Melanie found the brunette's stash of magazines but only elaborated enough to say they had ended before they ever began.

Melanie didn't respond to Emily's apology. She just sighed and plastered another fake smile on her face.

"Just give your bags to Adam over there," Hanna said as she waved toward the bellhop standing at the end of the check in counter. "And come out and drink with us."

Adam took their bags and headed upstairs as Emily let herself be dragged out the back door of the lobby to the patio area.

Off to the right there was a group of tables pushed together and she saw some very familiar faces around it. She caught sight of Spencer first and it made her smile to see Toby beside her, his arm resting on the back of her chair as his fingers caressed her back gently.

Aria and Ezra were across from them talking and laughing with a brunette Emily knew was Hanna's college roommate and maid of honor, Carolyn. Emily had always thought the two of them would be the first ones to get married but Hanna always did like to be the first to do something. There were a three other girls and one guy around the table that Emily didn't recognize but then her eyes fell on the blonde sitting beside Aria and all the breath left her body again.

Alison was the last person Emily expected to see here but she couldn't take her eyes off of her even as Hanna expertly guided them through the maze of tables as they approached their destination.

Alison could feel eyes on her but that was something she was used to now. She had gotten very good at blocking out the stares and whispers that seemed to follow her almost everywhere she went in public. But something compelled her to look up and she hiccupped softly as she saw Emily approaching, with Hanna. She was dressed in her Navy uniform and the sight of her made Alison want to moan. The brunette looked so fucking sexy in her uniform.

Emily was looking right at her and the intensity of her gaze made the blonde shiver. It took every ounce of her will power not to hurl herself out of her chair and across the patio and kiss the brunette breathless. Instead she just watched as Aria squealed Emily's name and then jumped out of her seat and rushed the brunette.

It was only at the last minute that Emily tore her eyes from Alison before Aria jumped on her in the same fashion as Hanna had earlier.

"Em, I've missed you so much."

Emily chuckled as she hugged the smaller girl. She didn't remember her friends being so jumpy.

"I missed you too, Aria."

Spencer turned around and stood from her chair as well. She also rushed the brunette and hugged her fiercely after she managed to pull Aria off Emily.

"It's so good to see you, Em."

"You too, Spence."

Alison smiled softly as she watched the scene in front of her. Both girls had greeted her much less enthusiastically, although they did seem genuinely happy to see her. But they were fawning over Emily in such a way that, had it been anyone else, Alison would have felt a twinge of annoyance and jealousy. But it was Emily they were fawning over. And the brunette deserved that kind of attention from everyone because she truly was exquisite.

Toby and Ezra greeted Emily a little more calmly but just as warmly.

"Damn, Em, you look much better in uniform than I do," Toby grinned as he stepped back from hugging her.

"Doesn't she look fucking hot?" Hanna gushed. "But you need to let your hair down and start drinking with us."

"I have to keep my hair up when I'm in uniform," Emily said. "If you had just let me go to my room and change before dragging me out here-"

"Simmer down, sailor," Hanna scoffed playfully. "I wanted everyone to see you in all dressed up and fancy and it's my-"

"-wedding weekend and you can do anything you want, I got it," Emily laughed as she finished Hanna's sentence before she introduced Melanie around.

Unable to stay in her seat a moment longer, Alison stood and walked around the table slowly. She wasn't sure how Emily was going to react to seeing her again but she was compelled to move closer.

Emily saw the movement instantly and her eyes whipped to the blonde. She felt all the breath leave her body for the third time as Alison walked up to her. Her smile was tentative, which was not something Emily was used to seeing on Alison's face. She was always so confident and assured and flirty in all her ads and interviews.

But the woman standing in front of her looked almost hesitant, her smile and eyes soft and full of something Emily couldn't describe but it made her heart throb in her chest. The brunette was instantly reminded of the girl she used to know. The one Alison only seemed to show to Emily. The girl she fell in love with all those years ago.

"Ali," she barely breathed and she could feel Melanie stiffen beside her but she couldn't take her eyes off the blonde.

"It's good to see you, Em," Alison said softly and the sound of Alison's voice calling her by her nickname wrapped around Emily and seeped into every cell of her body.

"It's good to see you too," Emily said just as Alison stepped closer and wrapped her arms around the brunette in a warm embrace.

Emily lifted her arms around Alison and felt the blonde tremble against her as she held the blonde for the first time in over five years.

################

Five hours later the rehearsal dinner was in full swing. Everyone had eaten and was once again enjoying after dinner drinks as they continued to catch up on each other's lives. After Emily and Alison's hug ended, there was an awkward silence because it had lasted so long. Finally Hanna told Emily to sit her ass down. But not before she pulled Emily close and whispered into her ear that if she was going to eye fuck any blonde this weekend it was going to be her.

Emily choked and looked at Hanna horrified but the look on her face made both Spencer and Aria laugh so the tension all around was broken. Alison had looked at her curiously, no doubt wondering what Hanna said to her and Emily found it hard to look at the blonde without associating the word "fucking" with her.

So instead, Emily joined the others at the table and had her first drink in over a week. Emily made it a practice not to drink when she was working but she was on leave for three weeks before she had to report to aviation school. And something told her she was going to need a lot of drinks if she was going to make it through the weekend. But the group only remained on the patio for a half hour longer before Hanna announced it was time for everyone to disburse and get changed for the rehearsal dinner.

Emily had found it very difficult to keep her eyes off Alison throughout the meal. The blonde looked stunning in a summer white dress that was short enough to show off her glorious legs but just long enough to be appropriate. Hanna sat them across from one another during dinner so they had talked a lot. More than Emily would have thought. But Alison was keenly interested in hearing all about Emily's life in the Navy while downplaying her own lifestyle to the point that every time Emily tried to ask her questions about it, she deflected and turned the subject back to Emily.

The brunette knew she should be paying more attention to Hanna, and even her girlfriend, who was sitting sullenly beside her, but Alison had her mesmerized. Melanie had been quiet for most of the night, only making small talk briefly with Aria. But every word out of Alison's mouth just made Emily focus on her lips, which in turn made her want to kiss those lips until they were swollen and the blonde was panting and breathless.

Andrea seemed nice enough but Emily couldn't quite get a handle on exactly what their relationship was. Emily's curiosity was getting the better of her and she was about to ask when Alison's cell phone rang a few minutes ago and she excused herself to take the call.

"So, Em," Spencer asked drawing Emily's thoughts away from Alison and back to the conversation at hand. "I've always wondered. If you wanted to be a pilot why didn't you join the air force?"

Emily took a swig of her beer. "Well here's a little known military fact for you. The navy has more planes than the air force."

"How do you figure?" Caleb asked as he rubbed his hand along Hanna's back softly.

"The Marine Corps is considered part of the Navy so all their planes are navy planes. And I'm a swimmer so of course I'm going to choose the Navy where I can fly on and off air craft carriers over the ocean instead of land," She stated obviously and there were knowing chuckles all around. "Besides I want to fly an F/A 18 Super Hornet and that's exclusively a navy jet."

"That sounds kind of sexy, what does it do?" Hanna purred as she fluttered her eyes at Emily making the brunette laugh. The more tipsy Hanna got the more she found a way to use the word "sexy" in her sentences.

"It's a fighter jet that carries air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles."

"Oh, you're going to bomb people?" Aria asked and Emily could tell she was a little surprised. In fact all her friends looked a little surprised.

"I hope not but I probably will someday," she admitted. "The military tries to only bomb non-civilian positions but sometimes that's not always possible."

"Well, you're full of surprises, aren't you?" Hanna said for the second time that day before taking another sip of her wine.

"Based on my preliminary test scores I'll probably end up flying a P-8 Poseidon instead, which is used for intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance, but we'll see," she shrugged. "I have to report to Florida in three weeks then I'll probably be stationed in Texas, ironically, because that's where the flight training is."

"Your mom must be ecstatic," Aria said and Emily smiled at her.

"Yeah but my dad thinks he might be getting reassigned to Germany so who knows how long they'll be there," Emily said with a frown. She missed her parents fiercely and was actually looking forward to potentially being stationed in Texas so she could be closer to them.

"As in the country?" Hanna asked.

"Do you know of another Germany?" Spencer asked in her usual sarcastic Spencer way.

"Whatever," Hanna said before she turned to Melanie. "Are you going Texas with Em?"

Melanie whipped her eyes to Emily whose own implored her not to start anything.

"We're not sure where I'm going yet so we'll figure it all out when I do." Emily answered for her. She could feel Melanie bristle next to her but she pretended not to notice.

"So how did the two of you meet? On the base?" Aria asked.

Emily shook her head. "The academy is a campus not a base. But we met at a bar nearby."

"I'm surprised you didn't find a hot Navy chick to hook up with," Hanna said before adding, "No offense, Mel, but Em has always attracted lesbians like bees to honey."

"Shut up, Hanna," Emily tossed a balled up napkin at the blonde.

Spencer snorted. "That's so freaking true."

Emily scowled at the brunette for agreeing with the blonde. "The male to female ratio, in the Navy, is fifty to one. Even if fraternization was allowed, for a lesbian, finding anyone to date in the immediate vicinity is virtually non-existent. Kinda like Rosewood."

"Says the lesbian who had more girlfriends in high school, than all the rest of us, _combined_ , had boyfriends," Hanna retorted as she threw the cherry from her drink at Emily.

The brunette caught it and popped it into her mouth before she smirked, causing Hanna's lips to curve into a sultry grin in return.

"I always knew you wanted my cherry, Em," Hanna teased with her eyes twinkling, causing Emily to choke on said cherry and the rest of the table to burst out laughing.

"It sounds like you were quite the player," Andrea mused as the waitress set another mojito down on the table in front of her.

"Nah," Hanna snorted as she waved her arm. "It's just that every lesbian within a fifteen mile radius wanted Em's cherry like she wanted Ali's."

Emily shot Hanna a quick glare before she whipped her gaze to Caleb and implored him with her eyes to shut Hanna off. Although Emily knew she was just trying to be funny, the blonde was getting more obnoxious with each drink she had.

"So, how long have you and Ali been together?" Spencer asked Andrea trying to diffuse the sudden tension by changing the topic.

Emily took a long swig of her beer but her entire focus was on the brunette across from her as she waited for the answer.

Andrea's lips quirked up on the right side. "I don't know if that's what I'd call us. But we met a year ago just after she and John broke off their engagement."

Emily choked on her beer and Melanie had to smack her on the back.

"Whoa, wait a minute," Aria said at the same time as she looked at Andrea. "Ali was engaged?"

"Yeah, y'all didn't know?" Andrea seemed surprised and that peaked Emily's curiosity even more.

"I knew," Hanna said quietly, her mood more subdued than a minute ago. Her three other friends turned their eyes on her accusingly. "What? They were engaged for about five seconds before Ali decided to end it. It didn't seem worth bringing up to anyone after that."

"Neither did the fact that the two of you were friends again," Emily muttered accusingly.

"Yeah, well, Ali's not exactly the most emotionally accessible person," Andrea added with a shrug seeming oblivious to the rising tension at the table.

Spencer snorted and Emily shot her a look. This was not news to any of them.

Andrea shifted in her chair and crossed her legs. "She told me once not long after we met that her _mermaid_ broke her heart so there wasn't anything left for anyone else."

Six sets of eyes turned to Emily but Hanna still managed to ask. "What else did she say about her _mermaid_?"

Andrea shook her head. "She never told me the girl's name but whoever she was she ruined Ali for anyone else."

"So what is the deal with you and Alison then?" Toby asked.

Andrea shrugged. "We have fun together."

"I said I'll be there, Lily," Alison said into the phone as she walked back over to the table and sat down. "I'll see you on Monday." She hung up the phone. "Sorry about that. So what did I miss?"

"Andrea was just telling us about how you met," Spencer replied as she took another sip of her drink.

"And about your ex-fiancé, John," Ezra said and Alison's eyes whipped toward the Emily to see the brunette glaring at her now.

So much for their semi-amicable reunion earlier.

"Apparently no one but Hanna knew about you and John," Andrea murmured over the rim of her glass and Alison sighed internally as she waited for the fallout.

"How did we not hear you were engaged?" Aria asked.

"Because I keep my personal life private," Alison replied, her annoyance creeping into her tone again. She could feel Emily's eyes on her but she didn't dare even look at the brunette.

"Okay, I'm just going to address the elephant in the room," Spencer spoke up again. "I don't get you, Ali. You were engaged to a guy a year ago yet you're here with a woman."

"So what?" Alison snapped as her eyes flashed at her old friend now. "What's the big fucking deal Spencer? I'm bisexual. Get over it."

"Well that explains a lot," Aria said to herself but everyone at the table heard her because she didn't say it quietly.

"What does?" Alison snapped again.

Aria shot Alison a look and the blonde decided this trip was probably one of the biggest mistakes of her life. She should have just sent Hanna a five thousand dollar gift card to Tiffany's and stayed the fuck away.

"Awww, Ali and Andi, even your names are cute together," Hanna teased and Alison sent her a glare that would have set her on fire if Alison had that super power.

Emily pushed away from the table and stood. "Excuse me," she muttered as she walked away without another word.

Alison watched her go, wanting to go after her, but her pride kept her in her seat.

"Excuse me," Melanie said in a low tone as she also stood and followed Emily out of the cafe.

"You need to learn how to keep your fucking mouth shut, Andi," Alison growled at Andrea who just sipped her drink not all al fazed by Alison's outburst.

"Chill out, Ali. What's the big deal?" Andrea said casually.

Andrea's nonchalance only made Alison even angrier but she didn't want to ruin Hanna's night so she just stood up. "You know what, the jet lag is catching up with me so I'm just going to call it a night."

"Ali, don't leave," Hanna said as she frowned. "Who cares if you were engaged to a guy. Em's just pissed because she's still hung up on you."

"Okay, you know what, Cinderella," Caleb said as he took Hanna's drink from her hand. "I think it's time for you to turn into a pumpkin."

Hanna pouted as her words reverberated in Alison's brain. She refused to believe them. She didn't dare.

"It was lovely to see all of you again," Alison said and her sarcasm was not lost on any of them. "Come on, Andi," Alison barked at the girl next to her.

Andrea didn't budge. "I'm going to finish my drink. I won't be long."

Alison's eyes flashed angrily. "Whatever," Alison reiterated Andrea's word from earlier as she walked over to Hanna and squeezed her shoulder. She wasn't mad at Hanna. The blonde was way too tipsy to be expected to hold her tongue. She was angry at Andrea for blabbing and Emily for storming off. The brunette had no right to be angry when she was the one with the long-term steady girlfriend.

"I'll see you in the morning, Hanna. Let me know if you need anything."

The blonde didn't wait for her friend to reply before she turned and walked away.

################

Emily slammed the door to her room and heaved out a long breath. She didn't even know why she was angry at the moment. But it had felt like a punch to the gut when she heard Alison say she was bisexual. She never allowed herself to believe it could be true because it was easier to believe Alison was straight and that's why she never returned Emily's feelings. But hearing the words from Alison's lips simply reaffirmed what Emily suspected all along. It had nothing to do with Emily being gay and Alison being straight, the blonde just never wanted her.

The door behind her opened and Melanie stepped into the room.

"That was rude of you to do to Hanna," Melanie said as she crossed her arms in front of her defensively.

Emily shook her head in warning. "I don't need a lecture tonight, Mel."

Melanie narrowed her eyes. "You're still in love with her, aren't you?" she asked straight out.

"Don't be ridiculous," Emily scoffed but the words sounded insincere even to her ears.

Emily could see the hurt sweep over Melanie's face before it turned into a scowl. "A supermodel, huh? You sure aim high, don't you?"

"Now who's being patronizing?" Emily retorted as she walked to the dresser and pulled her bathing suit out of the top drawer.

"Why did you even ask me to come with you this weekend, Em?"

Emily turned back to the brunette. "What kind of question is that? You're my girlfriend."

"Am I?" Melanie snapped. "Because you sure haven't been acting like it lately."

"You know what, Mel, I'm not gonna do this with you," Emily warned. She couldn't deal with this. All she wanted to do was scream and rage and then break down and lick her wounds, mourn the loss of something she never had even though her heart never wanted to accept it.

"Just answer my question," Melanie insisted. "She's why you've been so distant lately. You knew Hanna invited her, didn't you?"

Emily frowned at the reminder that, no, Hanna never told her anything about Alison being invited. "I had no idea she and Hanna were in touch, never mind friends again." Even she could hear the bitterness in her voice as she spoke. "But that isn't why I've been distant. We've been growing apart for a long time, Mel, and it's about time we both admit this isn't working anymore."

Melanie sighed as she sat down on the end of the bed. "I've been waiting for you to say that to me. I figured you were pulling away because you're leaving, not because you still have feelings for Alison."

"I wouldn't break up with you because I was being stationed in another state, Mel. And this doesn't have anything to do with Alison," Emily insisted before she motioned between them with her hand. "This just doesn't feel right anymore. I know you feel it too. But I didn't want to hurt you."

"I didn't want to hurt you either," Melanie admitted. "But the second I saw you look at her I knew it was more than us just growing apart. You've never gotten over her."

"There's nothing between me and Ali," Emily insisted as she clenched her swimsuit in her fist.

"I disagree," Melanie said as she looked at Emily evenly.

"I haven't seen her in five years," Emily said as her teeth clenched as hard as her fingers.

"Clearly that doesn't matter," Melanie replied quietly.

"She never wanted me," Emily spat the words out loud and it felt like a physical ache.

"Again I disagree," Melanie said her voice louder now. "I saw how she looked at you, Em. It was exactly like how you looked at her."

"I can't listen to this," Emily shook her head like a little kid refusing to listen. "I have to shake this off. I'm gonna take a swim before bed. And I want to find Hanna and apologize for storming off like a spoiled brat."

Melanie sighed resigned. "Okay. I'm gonna go to bed. I guess it's a good thing that they only had a room with two queen beds available, huh?"

Emily refused to answer and walked into the bathroom to change. As she closed the door behind her she recognized the irony of it. She'd never had an issue changing in front of Melanie. But suddenly it just felt wrong.

Emily stepped out of the bathroom carrying a towel two minutes later. She grabbed a pair of cotton shorts and one of her navy t-shirts and slipped them on.

"I'll try not to wake you when I come in," she said as she tossed the towel over her shoulder. Melanie looked at her from the chair beside the balcony door. Emily could see she was holding back tears so she walked over and pulled the brunette out of the chair and into her arms.

"I'm sorry, Mel," she murmured into the brunette's neck as Melanie gripped Emily tightly around the waist, burying her face in Emily's shoulder as she started to cry softly.

##################

Alison pushed open the door leading to the pool area. It was just after midnight and she was wide awake. She was still on west coast time so it was only nine o'clock to her and she tended to be a night owl anyway. She and Andrea fought when the brunette returned to their room over her inability to keep her fat trap shut. Andrea didn't seem to think it was such a big deal that her friends knew she'd been engaged. But Alison didn't like her personal life plastered all over the place. She worked very hard to protect her privacy because her life left very little that wasn't fair game for the media.

She and John had been on again and off again for a couple of years but managed to keep a very low profile at her insistence. His feelings for her were always more intense than hers for him. She liked him and enjoyed him but she never loved him.

However, when he proposed, Alison said yes before she could stop herself. By the time the reality of what she'd done sunk in, the blonde didn't want to hurt him because he was one of the few friends she had. But in the end she knew it wasn't fair to marry him when she didn't love him and knew she never would.

Alison walked toward the pool, thinking she'd just dip her feet in for a few minutes. She had this weird thing where her feet got very hot at night and she oftentimes had to dip them in a tub of cold water before she went to bed; otherwise she couldn't sleep. She'd been checked by a doctor who said there was nothing physically wrong with her but it would happen at least once or twice a week. Tonight was one of those nights.

As she approached the edge she saw someone swimming. Long powerful arms were slicing through the water in controlled even strokes as the swimmer's body propelled forward. For a split second Alison considered turning around but then she realized she recognized those toned arms and that graceful body.

She'd know her mermaid anywhere.

Instead of walking away, she dropped down into one of the chairs and watched, enthralled by the sight in front of her. She didn't realize she was staring and holding her breath until she heard the faint sound of her name.

"Ali?" Emily's voice cut through the haze and Alison shook her head.

"Huh?" she said before she realized how lame she sounded.

Emily chuckled softly.

"You alright there?" the brunette asked as she swam over to the edge of the pool in front of the chair Alison was sitting in.

"Yeah," Alison replied as she stood up and walked to the edge on the shallow end. "Just spaced for a minute." The blonde removed her slippers and sat on the edge, dipping her feet into the pool. She sighed softly as the cool water surrounded her hot feet. "I didn't mean to interrupt you."

Emily floated closer and rested her arms on the edge of the pool. "It's okay. I was just finishing up."

"Trouble sleeping?" Alison asked as she admired Emily's profile illuminated by the pool lights. "Or just trying to tire yourself out?"

Emily shrugged. "A little of both I guess."

"There are other more pleasurable ways to do that you know," Alison smirked.

Emily shot her a wry smirk in response but decided it was best not to respond. Instead she sighed. "I'm going to completely regret this tomorrow."

"Don't you have to work out all the time?" Alison asked curiously not surprised Emily didn't take her bait. Although it was clear the brunette was a strong and confident young woman now, Alison could still see the hints of that shy girl beneath the surface and it made the blonde smile to know there was still some of the Emily she knew inside there.

"I have a regular exercise regimen but the Navy doesn't drive us into the ground. They only do that in boot camp."

Emily pulled herself out of the pool and Alison swallowed back the whimper that threatened to escape at the sight of Emily with water dripping down what Alison considered the sexiest body she had ever seen.

The brunette grabbed her towel from the lounge chair a little ways away and ran it over her body.

"What are you doing down here?" Emily asked as she wrung the excess water out of her hair before she sat down on the edge of the pool a few feet to Alison's left.

"It's only nine to me and my body can't go to sleep that early."

Emily nodded thoughtfully. "I didn't know you and Hanna were close again."

Alison looked at the brunette out of the corner of her eye. "I wouldn't call us close. We just decided we actually kinda like each other now that all that old baggage is behind us."

"Old baggage?" Emily arched her brow curious at Alison's choice of words to describe their past.

Alison shrugged. "What else would I call it? I taught her how to make herself puke and she helped get me thrown in jail for a murder I didn't commit."

Emily choked out a dark chuckle. "You always did have a strange way looking at things, Ali."

Alison shrugged again as she smirked. "Well self flagellation can only do so much and then you just have to say 'shit happens' and either hold on to it or let it go. We're both very different people than we were back then."

"We all are," Emily said softly.

"Yeah," Alison murmured as she tilted her head, observing the woman beside her. "But I think the intrinsic parts, deep down, are still the same. I mean, look at you. You've chosen a career doing one of the things that comes natural to you… protecting people."

"I wouldn't exactly say that," Emily scoffed.

"I would." Alison's lips curved softly. "I know what it's like to feel safe with you. That's who you are, Emily Fields. You're a protector."

"Why didn't you ever tell me you were bisexual?" Emily suddenly blurted out, no longer able to contain the question that had been burning in her mind and on her tongue for hours.

Alison was surprised at the abrupt change of subject.

"I thought you knew," she answered honestly after almost a minute.

"How the hell would I know that?" Emily snapped as she frowned. "The last time we saw each other you were dating Lorenzo."

"That was only because you were chasing after Sara Harvey like some lost puppy dog in heat," Alison snapped back instinctively going into defensive mode. Even after all these years it was still her first go-to when she felt genuinely attacked.

Emily bristled at Alison's description, mostly because it hit home. She did chase after Sara pretty pathetically after they had all been rescued. But her immense guilt over her part in Alison's arrest and conviction, on top of her own trauma from what happened in the dollhouse, caused Emily to shut Alison out. Instead she latched onto Sara and poured all that guilt and pain and remorse into trying to save the damaged girl. Trying to save her the way she was unable to save Alison.

As expected, it was a colossal mistake because Sara had been brainwashed by Charles and Cece and ended up leading them all to the two psychos before disappearing. In the midst of all the chaos, she slipped away and had never been found.

"You were the one I wanted," Emily said bitterly.

"And I was too stupid to see it when I should have," Alison admitted honestly.

The two women sat in silence for a few minutes before Emily asked her question again.

"So why didn't you tell me?"

Alison's brow furrowed as she was brought back to that night in Emily's room. "I did. The night I apologized to Paige."

Emily shook her head as she looked over at Alison. "No you didn't."

"Yes I did," Alison insisted as her eyes flashed defensively. "I told you your feelings for me weren't one sided. But you clearly didn't want to hear me. You were too busy trying to frame me for Mona's murder."

Even in the dark Alison saw the remorse flash in Emily's eyes.

"Ali," she started to say but Alison just waved her hand dismissively as she sighed and looked away.

"Forget it, Em. I forgave you for that a long time ago."

"It doesn't sound like it."

Alison turned and looked Emily straight in the eye. "I said I forgave you not that I forgot."

Emily felt pinned by Alison's gaze and she released a long breath before she spoke again. "For what it's worth, I consider that the single worst thing I've ever done in my life," Emily admitted, pausing for another breath before she continued. "And I'm sorry. I know I never told you that but I'm truly sorry for believing you could do anything like that and for even thinking of planting that evidence."

Alison sighed again ruefully. "You've got nothing on me when it comes to regrets, Em. I have a lifetime worth of them and I'm not even twenty five yet," Alison said honestly. "You know what the single worst thing I've ever done in my life is?"

"The Jenna thing?" Emily asked thinking she knew the answer.

But Alison shook her head. "No. Although that probably comes second."

Emily looked at her curiously. "What then?"

Alison smiled sadly. "The single worst thing I've ever done was never telling you, truthfully and plainly, how totally and hopelessly in love with you I've been since I was fifteen."

Emily's face registered first shock and then anger and then lust as she lunged at Alison, pressing her lips against the blonde's in a hard bruising kiss.

Alison gasped and Emily took advantage of her open mouth to slip her tongue in, seeking Alison's as she reached for the blonde's waist, yanking her closer. Alison lifted her hands and thrust her fingers into Emily's wet hair as she moaned and twisted so she could press closer to the brunette's toned body.

Emily kissed her deeper, her tongue tangling with Alison's roughly as she groaned into her mouth. The blonde tasted sweeter than she remembered and better than any woman should. She yanked Alison closer as she slipped into the pool, taking the blonde with her.

Alison gasped again as the cool water hit her skin and she shuddered gently before wrapping her legs around Emily, not caring one iota that she was now soaking wet. Emily's hand slid down and gripped Alison's ass as she pressed the blonde against the pool wall. Alison bucked in her arms as she kissed the brunette the way she'd been dying to since the second she saw her that afternoon.

Emily tore her lips away and trailed a path of hot, wet kisses down Alison's throat, swirling her tongue and reveling in the vaguely familiar taste of the blonde's skin. Memories of that night in Alison's bed so long ago came flooding back as the scent of the blonde surrounded her.

Alison's head fell back and her eyes fluttered closed as she moaned Emily's name long and low. She bucked her hips and arched her back as she tightened her legs around Emily's hips.

"Em," she whimpered as her entire body throbbed with desire for the woman pressed so intimately against her.

Emily slid one hand around Alison's body and plunged down the front of the boy shorts Alison wore. Her fingers slipped into the panties underneath as Emily sought out the blonde's clit.

At the first touch, Alison's entire body jerked like she'd been electrocuted and another moan, longer and lower, slipped past her lips. She lifted her head and grabbed Emily's face, pulling the brunette's lips to hers again.

"Oh god," she choked into Emily's mouth.

Alison rocked her hips, her entire body shuddering as the brunette's fingers teased and tormented her, alternating between flicking over and around her clit before sliding down and pumping inside her.

Emily swallowed Alison's shallow pants before closing her teeth gently around Alison's probing tongue. She could feel Alison's breasts heaving and her hips bucking in the same rhythm that Emily pumped her fingers deep into the blonde's body.

Alison tore her lips away and reached for the shoulder straps of Emily's bathing suit. She yanked them down, releasing the brunette's breasts before using both hands to heft them up. Alison leaned down and wrapped her lips around one nipple, while the fingers of one hand tugged and rolled on the other.

Emily's fingers faltered and now her head fell back in surrender as Alison suckled her, swirling her tongue in circles around Emily's nipple aching nipple.

"Ali," Emily whimpered as she pressed Alison harder against the concrete wall of the pool. Alison felt it scraping her back as she writhed and wriggled in Emily's arms, but she didn't care as she released Emily's nipple before quickly latching onto the other one. She slid her hand down between them and tugged the crotch of Emily's bathing suit aside, feeling Emily's wet heat in such direct contrast to the cool water around them. Her fingertips fluttered and flicked over Emily's hard throbbing clit.

"Kiss me," Emily choked as she yanked on Alison's long hair, pulling the blonde's Alison's mouth away from her breast. Alison did as commanded and lifted her head, taking Emily's lips in a long deep bruising kiss.

Emily widened the stance of her legs, pressing her free hand against the edge of the pool, trying to remain balanced in the shallow water. Alison took the opportunity to slip her fingers lower, slipping them into the soft wet heat of Emily's body. The blonde's finger started pumping into the brunette steadily. With each thrust, the blonde slid her fingers out and then up and around Emily's clit before sliding back down and into the brunette's depths again.

Their kisses were frantic and sloppy as both women's hands worked tirelessly to bring the other pleasure.

Emily's fingers pumped deeper with each plunge, long smooth strokes, until her knuckles pressed against Alison's clit.

Alison continued to tease Emily's nipples with her free hand and Emily groaned softly with each tug by Alison's fingers.

For several minutes the only sounds in the dark night were wet lips meeting and releasing amid soft feminine moans and the low hum of the pool motor combined with the sloshing of water against the concrete walls of the pool.

"Em," Alison panted into Emily's mouth as their lips parted, briefly, when oxygen became a necessity.

"Look at me," Emily commanded softly as she pressed her forehead against Alison's. The blonde opened her eyes and intense blue met lust filled brown. Emily's fingers sped up as she continued to fuck Alison with them.

The blonde's body shuddered and her legs trembled around Emily. She flicked her fingers faster against Emily's clit and Alison watched as Emily's eyes darkened even further until they were almost black.

Emily's eyes fluttered for a second and her body tensed as her orgasm slammed into her. She choked out Alison's name as the blonde slipped her fingers lower and into Emily's body just as it clenched around the invading digits.

"Yes," Alison hissed softly as she captured Emily's lips in a long deep kiss once again. Emily's thighs trembled around Alison's hand and her legs barely held her up as she rode out her orgasm.

Alison hummed Emily's name softly as she peppered the brunette's face with soft kisses.

"Look at me," Emily demanded again and she slid her free hand up and gripped Alison's neck gently, pressing her fingers just beneath her chin, tilting the blonde's face so she was forced to look into Emily's eyes. The fingers of Emily's other hand sped up, once again alternating between pumping and teasing Alison's clit, rolling the little bud before her fingers burrowed deep inside the blonde again.

Emily kept her gaze locked with Alison's, watching every nuance of pleasure that crossed the blonde's face as she pleasured her. The feel of Alison's soft, warm, wet flesh around her fingers was everything she remembered and more.

Alison's body bucked and she expelled short harsh breaths as she felt her orgasm starting low and deep. She fought to keep her eyes open but her head started to fall back of its own volition as her eyes fluttered.

"Look at me." Emily's voice was hoarse with desire as she focused everything on pleasuring the woman in her arms. She'd dreamed of this forever and she was soaking in every last second of it knowing it was probably the last time.

Alison's eyes snapped open just as her orgasm rolled over her, the sensation traveling from the top of her head to the tips of her toes, a tingling that turned into long rolls of pleasure. The blonde shuddered and bucked and her body squeezed Emily's fingers so hard, the brunette actually groaned softly.

Emily watched Alison fall apart in her arms and she knew she had never seen a more beautiful sight in her life.

Emily slid her hand around Alison's neck and cupped the back of it, pulling the blonde's lips to hers again, this time for a soft kiss.

Alison wrapped her arms around Emily and lost herself in the feel and taste of the woman who held her heart.

Alison's heart thundered in her chest as her body continued to convulse softly. She whimpered softly into Emily's mouth as she caught her breath.

Emily slid her fingers out of Alison and removed the blonde's legs from around her before stepping back in the water. Now that the haze of lust had cleared, she was horrified at what she'd done. Granted she and Melanie had decided to break up, technically they were still together and the woman was still upstairs in her room. Yet here Emily was with her fingers buried inside Alison.

"Em?" Alison looked at her questioningly as she gripped the side of the pool behind her, slowly catching her breath.

Emily shook her head as she pushed herself out of the water again and grabbed her towel.

"I can't do this, Ali," she said regretfully and she watched the disappointment and heartbreak sweep over Alison's face. But she knew if she gave in, she would inevitably lose herself to the blonde and it would surely destroy them both.

Alison's mouth started to open in response but Emily just turned around and walked away leaving the devastated blonde behind without another word.

###############

Alison sipped her wine as she sat at the otherwise empty table at the edge of the veranda. She was watching Hanna and Caleb dance slowly amidst the other couples on the floor. The music had just turned from the traditional slow dancing to a more upbeat set of songs. Andrea was on the dance floor with Spencer and Aria and Carolyn, enjoying herself, and Alison chuckled softly as she watched Hanna sashay over to them after leaving Caleb with a loud smacking kiss. The five women were laughing and smiling but the only thing Alison could think about was where Emily had gone.

The wedding had been beautiful and even brought a small tear to Alison's eye when Hanna and Caleb said their vows. The two were so in love it made Alison smile and ache all at the same time. She was happy for her friend but jealous as hell too. She would never have what the two of them shared because the one person she wanted it with left her in the pool last night feeling used like a whore.

She and Emily hadn't spoken all day despite being seated at the same table for the reception. Neither one wanted to do anything to spoil Hanna's special day so they avoided any contact rather than risk a blow up. It was clear they were both conflicted and hurt and angry over their encounter last night. But, for Alison, that conflict, hurt and anger was mixed with euphoria and gratitude that she'd had the brunette one last time. It was more than she deserved and ever dared hope. But less than she wanted.

Because she wanted Emily with every fiber of her being. Still.

The empty seat beside Emily had intrigued Alison. The brunette didn't say anything about where her missing girlfriend was and if anyone asked her they did it privately. But Alison couldn't help wondering if it had anything to do with what happened between her and Emily in the pool.

Andrea dropped down in the chair beside her she nudged the blonde with her foot. "Why are you just sitting over here by yourself sulking?"

"I'm not sulking, Andi," Alison said matter-of-factly.

"Yes you are," Andrea replied quickly. "You should be out there dancing with your friends, not sitting here alone."

"Maybe I don't feel like dancing."

"You love to dance." Andi was clearly not going to let her off the hook and it was starting to piss her off.

"Not tonight I don't," Alison said sulkily.

"Whatever," Andrea said, using her favorite word of the weekend. "They're actually pretty cool."

The music changed, slowing down again, and Alison finally caught sight of Emily, now on the dance floor in Toby's arms. She looked stunning in a blue strapless dress that complimented her olive complexion so perfectly it made Alison want to lick every inch of bare skin she could see. And then every inch she couldn't.

The two old friends were chatting and laughing as they danced and Alison felt an ache in her chest.

"Why don't you just go cut in already?" Andrea said from beside her and Alison turned head to look at the brunette.

"What are you talking about?" she scowled.

Andrea just shot her a look. "You want to dance with her. Why don't you just do it already?"

"What makes you think I want to dance with her?" Alison asked and instantly regretted engaging Andrea in this conversation as the brunette just smirked at her knowingly.

"Because you haven't been able to take your eyes off her since she arrived yesterday."

Alison scoffed. "You're imagining things."

"Did I imagine seeing the two of you fucking in the pool last night?"

Alison's eyes widened and she was sure she looked like a deer in the headlights.

Damn, what the hell happened to her poker face?

"She's the mermaid." Andrea stated rather than asked and Alison neither confirmed nor denied it. Instead she just looked away and remained silent.

Andrea huffed out a frustrated breath.

"Stop being a diva and go dance with her. Otherwise I'm gonna go ask her."

Alison's eye whipped toward Andrea and she growled. "You wouldn't fucking dare."

"Try me," Andrea challenged and Alison narrowed her eyes wondering if she should call the brunette's bluff.

The blonde could see understanding in Andrea's eyes and she both hated and appreciated it, especially when she felt Andrea's hand on her arm.

"Go," she encouraged softly. "You may never get another chance and you'll loathe yourself later if you don't. I think you have enough self-loathing already to last a lifetime."

Alison's brow furrowed as she looked back at Emily and Toby on the dance floor. Despite how hurt she was over what transpired between them the previous night, Alison couldn't deny, to herself at least, that she wanted Emily in her arms again.

She looked back at Andrea who was smiling gently. "Don't worry about me. I always knew I was only borrowing you for a while."

Alison looked at her for another minute, her eyes reflecting her gratitude before she finally took a deep breath and stood. She walked over to Emily and Toby, who had just started a second dance.

"May I cut in?" she asked from behind Emily startling both of them.

Emily looked over and Alison could see confusion combined with apprehension in her eyes. She wondered for a moment if Emily would refuse but the brunette then stepped out of Toby's arms and turned to her.

Alison's heart thumped in her chest as she stepped up and slid her arms around Emily's waist while the brunette lifted her arms over Alison's shoulders.

As Alison felt Emily step closer she held her breath waiting for the brunette to press against her. But Emily kept some distance between them. Alison could still feel the way Emily felt pressed against her in the pool the previous night and the thought made her tremble.

"Ali, what are-?" Emily started to ask but Alison interrupted her.

"Please, Em, can we just not talk right now," Alison implored as she stepped closer and tightened her arms around Emily.

She didn't want to hear Emily say last night was a mistake. She didn't want to hear Emily say it was best if they just stayed out of each other's lives. She just wanted this one moment.

This _one last moment_ with the girl she loved in her arms.

Slowly their bodies migrated closer together. Emily could feel Alison's soft breath against her neck and it set her entire body alight. She could still feel Alison against her fingertips, could still taste her on her lips, and Emily felt never imagined she could feel so miserable and so euphoric all at once.

All too soon the song came to an end and Alison stepped back. Emily could see the slight sheen of tears swirling in Alison's blue depths. Resolve flickered in them before Alison leaned toward the brunette and kissed her swiftly.

The kiss ended as quickly as it began and then Alison spoke, her voice breaking as she did.

"I'll always love you, Em, and I hope your life is beautiful. Goodbye."

Without waiting for a reply she turned and strode over to Hanna and Caleb who were standing by the bar. Emily watched stunned as Alison hugged Hanna hard and then Caleb more tentatively. She said a few words to them before turning and walking off the veranda.

She and Alison were making a habit of walking away from each other without giving the other a chance to stop them. It didn't solve anything and Emily wondered why it was she and the blonde could never stop hurting each other. As Alison disappeared through the French doors that led into the banquet room Emily felt like a vise squeezing clamped around her heart.

Hanna watched Alison go with a look of confusion before she turned her eyes on Emily. Hanna gave Emily a questioning look and Emily just shook her head.

The brunette lifted her fingers to her lips, which were still tingling from the feel of Alison's. She felt eyes on her and she turned to see Andrea glaring at her before she hurried after the blonde.

Hanna walked over after saying a few words to Andrea as she walked by. "What the hell happened with you and Ali?"

Emily looked at the blonde and sighed as the vise like feeling in her chest intensified. Her entire body felt numb except for the acute pain in her heart. She swallowed thickly and whatever Hanna saw in her eyes caused the blonde to immediately grab her hand and drag her toward the bride's room. The door was barely shut before Emily felt the sob clawing up her throat.

##############

Alison's opened her eyes at the sound of her name to find her assistant, Claire, standing over her.

"You've blocking my sun," Alison murmured from her place sprawled on the lounge chair beside the pool.

She'd just returned from New York the previous day after two weeks of shoots for her new campaign with Vera Wang and a charity fashion show for the Children's Cancer Centers. She'd been in New York since she left Hanna's wedding and she was glad to finally be home.

"You have a visitor," Claire said as she held Alison's wrap out to her.

Alison glared as she sat up. "Why are you letting in visitors? Didn't I say I wanted to be left alone today?"

"She was pretty insistent when she called from the gate."

"Who the fuck is it?" Alison snatched the wrap out of Claire's hand as she stood up, throwing it on over her bikini, leaving it open in the front rather than tie it.

"She said her name was Spencer and that Hanna sent her."

Alison's lips turned down into a scowl. What the hell was Spencer doing at her house?

"And if an axe murderer showed up here and said Hanna sent her, would you let her in too?"

"I heard you mention the name Spencer to Jason before and I figured since it was Hanna who-"

"Claire, forget it," Alison huffed at the tall auburn headed girl in front of her. "Next time tell me who it is _before_ you buzz them through the gate."

"Sorry, Ali," the girl apologized. She'd only been Alison's assistant for a few months so she was still learning the blonde's quirks. "Should I bring her back here or send her away?"

The phone in Claire's hand rang before Alison could answer, so the blonde just waved her away. "I'll go. Where is she?"

"In the foyer," Claire replied before answering the phone.

"If it's someone else at the gate don't fucking let them in." Alison walked off, annoyed to say the least.

Once inside the house, her bare feet padded across the Italian marble tile of the great room on her way to the foyer.

Why was Spencer seeking her out and why in freaking hell was Hanna giving her address out? She was going to kick that girl's ass when she got home from her honeymoon.

Pepe came sliding across the floor beside her and barked as Alison stepped into the large, sunlit, circular foyer when she stopped, finding a completely different brunette than she expected standing in front of her.

Emily was again wearing Service Dress Blues and she had her duffle bag slung over her shoulder. Alison never expected to see the brunette again and the sight of her left a lump in the blonde's throat.

"Ali," Emily said her name softly when Alison just stood there speechless. Pepe barked and head butted Emily and the brunette reached down and scratched his ears. "Hey, Pepe."

"Why did you tell my assistant you were Spencer?" Alison asked abruptly because she couldn't think of anything else to say.

"I wasn't sure you'd be willing to see me after what happened at Hanna's wedding."

Alison frowned because Emily was right. She wasn't sure she would have agreed to see her if she knew it was the brunette.

"What are you doing here, Emily?" Alison asked as she crossed her arms over her chest, causing her breasts to lift and her cleavage to deepen. "Aren't you supposed to be at flight school?"

"I don't report for another week," Emily said as she shifted her bag on her shoulder. She let her eyes slowly peruse the mostly naked blonde in front of her and she felt her abdomen clench with need.

"Did Hanna give you my address?"

"Yes," Emily answered honestly. "And she fully expects your wrath the next time she sees you." Alison arched a brow. "But she also told me to tell you to get the fuck over it," Emily finished with a wry smirk.

Alison fought a smirk of her own. Of course Hanna would send that message along. But that wasn't going to let her off the hook. The blonde was going to pay for this.

"Why are you here?" Alison asked again as her lips curved down into a frown.

"Because I had something I needed to say to you," Emily answered honestly.

"And you couldn't call?" Alison asked as she arched her brow again.

Emily shook her head slowly. "I don't have your number."

"I'm sure Hanna could have given it to you," Alison replied, being difficult, only partially unintentionally.

Emily stepped closer. "I had to say this in person."

Alison moved to take a step back but Emily just reached out to her, lifting her hand to the blonde's face, caressing her cheek softly.

"I'll always love you too, Ali," she said honestly and Alison gasped softly. "And I'm not willing to say goodbye again."


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for your kind words and thoughts. You truly humble me.

Thanks to my best friend, Jude, for typing this author's note, and the previous one, and for helping me post this story. Without her it would still be sitting on my computer because words and letters get a little jumbled right now.

But I'm still inside here and I WILL fight my way back out.

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything PLL. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.**

Here's the second and final chapter. This was originally envisioned as a one shot but it got way too freaking long. Chapter 2 is a little bit different format than my usual style but it's how it came out of me…. so there you have it.

As always, thanks for reading and if you're so inclined leave a review. Reading them makes me happy.

Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

 ** _Five Years Later….._**

Emily's landing on the deck of the aircraft carrier was smooth and perfect as usual. She grinned as Tony guided her to a stop with his flags.

"Nice flight today, girl," Mac said from his seat behind her. Mac was the weapons systems officer for her EA-18G Growler. Although she'd originally wanted to fly F/A-18F Super Hornets, as she went through flight training, she discovered she liked flying the Growler better.

It was one of the most advanced airborne electronic attack jets in existence, which provided tactical jamming and electronic protection to the other naval strike aircraft. Emily had never been comfortable with the idea of dropping bombs out of her jets and decided she preferred jamming other aircraft's radar over weapon's strikes.

"I think we had a good day overall," Emily agreed as she removed her helmet and climbed out of the jet. "Thanks, Tony," she said as she started walking across the deck.

Mac caught up with her and slung his arm over her shoulders.

"Only another week and we're finally back on dry land. Are you ready for it?"

As much as Emily enjoyed being at sea for a while, she was so ready to be on land again. She shoved his arm off and rolled her eyes. "Of course I'm ready. Aren't you?"

"Eh," he shrugged. "I could spend a few more months out here."

"That's because you don't have a girlfriend giving you a reason to be on land."

He put his hand over his heart dramatically. "Oooh, you wound me, Fields."

Emily shook her head and laughed. Mac was one of those sailors who was happily single so being deployed at sea for months at a time didn't faze him.

"All of us can't be lucky enough to be dating a super model," he teased as they entered the elevator to descend to the pilot ready room below.

Emily's lips curved up at the thought of Alison. She and the blonde had been going on just over five years together and even though they'd spent much of it apart due to Emily's training and two overseas deployments, they were managing to find a way to make it work.

It hadn't been easy at first. They barely had a week together in LA before Emily had to report to flight school. But they both wanted a chance so badly they were willing to do whatever it took. Over the course of her twelve week training Alison flew to Florida multiple times. And she would often take short trips up to Whidbey Island, Washington where Emily was stationed for the next year for her advanced flight training.

Their commitment to making their relationship work surprised both their families and friends, but once they finally admitted their true feelings for each other, there was nothing else they could do. Not being together wasn't an option.

The elevator doors opened into the pilot ready room where their CO was in his office waiting to debrief them on their flight mission.

"You need to stop being jealous of my girlfriend, Mac. It's very unbecoming," Emily replied with a smirk. Secretly Emily loved it but she'd never admit it.

Maggie, another pilot who'd gone through flight training with Emily and her closest friend on the ship, was sitting at one of the desks completing her own flight reports.

"Speaking of Super Star, is she gonna meet you at the pier?" she asked as she looked up, hearing the end of Emily's comment. Maggie loved to tease Emily by calling Alison "Super Star". Normally it would make Emily laugh and smile but at that moment the brunette's lips curved down into a frown.

Alison would be in London for Fashion Week and wouldn't be able to meet the aircraft carrier when it returned to port in San Diego after having been at sea on a WestPAC cruise for almost ten months.

The last time she'd been deployed, Alison met her upon her return, but this time she wasn't able to be there.

Although Emily had been gone for forty weeks, it hadn't been that long since she saw Alison. Over the course of the cruise Emily had been given liberty three times. She had a week in Singapore, a week in the United Arab Emirates, and a week in Sydney, Australia.

Alison flew to each of the countries to meet her and they spent each of those weeks sightseeing a little and in bed, naked, a lot.

Emily didn't care how much money Alison had, but having a rich girlfriend who could fly around the world to visit her, at the drop of a hat, was pretty fantastic. But it had been over eight weeks since she last saw the blonde in Sydney and Emily was dying to see her again.

Emily had been stationed in San Diego since she graduated flight school and, although Alison maintained her primary residence in Los Angeles, the blonde bought a house right on the beach in La Jolla, only about 12 miles north of the naval base. When Emily wasn't living on the ship, she lived with Alison and the blonde spent all of her time in San Diego, except when Emily was deployed or she, herself, was traveling or had to be in Los Angeles for something specific.

At first it was weird to be in oceanfront mansion, especially when Emily was there alone, but it didn't make sense for the brunette to stay in the base housing when Alison lived so close. Now Emily was looking forward to going home even though she would be returning to the empty house because Alison was traveling. Her girlfriend would be home a week after, she returned home, and Emily couldn't wait.

"Ali's going to be in London," Emily said as she sat in the chair beside Maggie and set her helmet on the table.

"You mean I'm not going to get to see my girl crush this time?" Maggie pouted and Emily smacked her on the arm.

Maggie emphasized the words " _girl crush_ " because it was the name of Alison's fragrance for Estee Lauder and the perfume the blonde wore all the time. As it just so happened, Maggie wore the perfume, as well, and would try to tempt and tease Emily with it by pouring it on heavily, especially when the brunette was missing her girlfriend.

"You're such an insensitive bitch sometimes. Why am I friends with you again?"

Maggie grinned. "Because I'm fabulous. And if it wasn't for Super Star, you'd be totally into me."

"Wow, someone thinks a lot of herself," Mac laughed as he returned from shedding his flight suit.

Emily watched as Maggie's eyes changed. Her friend had a long time crush on Mac but his "player" ways kept her from pursuing anything with him. It was disappointing because Emily thought the two of them would make a great couple.

Mac sat down at one of the computer stations and started downloading the information from the jet's computer system as Emily walked into the pilot changing room. She removed her outer flight suit before returning to the pilot ready room to find Mac and Maggie still chatting.

"They're doing the lottery draw tonight," Mac said from his spot at the desk, referring to the lottery among shipmates for the ceremonial "first kiss" held when a vessel returned from deployment. The winner of the lottery was the first shipman to disembark and be greeted by his or her family and loved ones awaiting their return.

"And your point is?" Emily asked as she, too, sat down in front of one of the computers and logged in.

"Just saying." Mac shrugged casually.

"Did you not just hear me say Ali's going to be in London?"

Mac grinned, his boyish grin, and for a split second Emily understood what Maggie saw in him. "Yeah, but if you buy in and win then you can give it to anyone of your choice."

"Why would I even bother wasting the money to buy in?" Emily laughed.

"Because it will give me another chance to win," Mac said with a dramatic nod of his head.

"But again," Emily drawled as she typed. "You don't have a girlfriend to kiss."

"Oh, please. I'd find someone to kiss. I bet I could get Mags to kiss me, right Mags?" Mac said flirtatiously as he turned that grin on the other brunette.

"I don't want your cooties, thank you very much," Maggie scoffed but Emily heard beyond the joking tone of her voice.

"If you three are done gossiping over there?" their CO said from the door of his office. "Can we debrief now?"

He turned around and walked back into his office, leaving the door open, a very clear invitation to follow.

Maggie snickered as Emily saved and closed her report before she stood and followed Mac into their CO's office.

As the door closed, Emily could hear Maggie's snickering die away.

#############

The rest of the week was a blur as the ship prepared for docking in San Diego. Emily didn't buy into the lottery, much to Mac's disappointment, but at least another pilot won.

Emily stood among her fellow officers as she waited to disembark the aircraft carrier. The colors had been shifted and the ships flags changed from "at seas" to "in port."

Emily typed a text to Alison, hoping it wasn't too late in London for a quick call. She hadn't spoken to Alison in over three weeks and she just wanted to hear her girlfriend's voice.

"Hey, Fields."

Emily heard her name but it didn't register so she didn't look up until Maggie elbowed her in the side.

"He's talking to you."

Emily lifted her head and looked over at Maggie before looking ahead of her. The sailors in front of her had made a path and she could see Travis, the pilot who won the lottery, standing beside the officer's brow.

"Officer, get your ass up here," he said and Maggie shoved her forward.

"What the hell, Mags?" Emily said as she stumbled, before righting herself, and walking through the group of sailors, most of whom were grinning like fools. It freaked her out a little bit.

"What's going on? Why aren't you getting off?" Emily asked as she reached Travis.

He gave her the once over with his eyes and Emily would have been offended but she knew Travis was devoted to his wife.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

His lips curved into a smile. "Apparently a sailor is allowed to give his draw in the lottery to anyone he wishes."

"Okay," Emily said as she looked at him confused.

"I'm giving mine to you," he said plainly.

She looked at him like he had two heads. "What are you talking about? My girlfriend isn't even here, Travis."

"Uh, Em," Maggie said from beside her. "Why don't you stop flapping your gums and look down?"

Emily shot Maggie a look before she turned her head and looked down to at the pier to at her right. She gasped softly when she caught sight of the familiar blonde standing among the other families waiting for their loved ones.

Alison was dressed casually, wearing jeans and a t-shirt, the way she did when she wanted to blend in. But in direct contrast to blending in, she was holding a huge bouquet of sunflowers.

"Someone wanted you to be the first one off the ship pretty badly," Travis said from beside her.

"Travis, I can't," Emily shook her head even though she didn't take her eyes of Alison who was smiling widely. "You won. You should be the first one off."

He shook his head. "Just go Fields, before I change my mind."

"Go," Maggie urged her closer to the brow.

Emily looked at Travis. "Are you sure."

He nodded his head that time and smiled again. "Tell your girl thanks for the all expenses paid trip to Rome and Barcelona."

Emily looked at him with surprise but then realized she shouldn't be shocked. This was Alison, after all. She whispered a quiet "thanks" and started down the brow, confused but so incredibly happy to see her girlfriend there.

The blonde's smile widened as Emily reached the bottom of the stairs. She rocked back and forth on her feet as she watched Emily hike her bag higher on her shoulder as she started across the pier. Her heart was hammering in her chest as she clenched her fingers around the object in her hand.

When Emily was five feet away, Alison took a deep breath and slowly lowered herself down onto one knee. Emily stopped dead in her tracks and she gasped as the blonde lifted her hand in front of her. In her fingers she gripped an unmistakable diamond ring.

"Ali," she breathed, blinking her eyes as she looked at the girl she loved on her knees in front of her. She could see Alison's bright blue depths shining with love and hope.

"Emily Fields," Alison said her name clearly and loudly, even though a hush had overtaken the pier. "Will you marry me?"

It didn't take Emily a second before she dropped her duffle bag onto the concrete and strode forward the last few steps to reach Alison. She reached down and tugged her girlfriend to her feet before she cupped the blonde's face in her palms.

"Yes," Emily breathed against Alison's lips as she kissed her soft and deep.

The sunflowers dropped, forgotten, to the ground as Alison wrapped her arms around Emily, gripping the brunette tight against her as she hiccupped softly into her mouth.

A whimper escaped her lips as she opened for Emily, returning the kiss as fervently as the brunette. She hadn't been that nervous in a very long time, if ever. Not that she doubted Emily's feelings for her. She knew the brunette loved her just as deeply. But Alison wondered if Emily would think it was too soon.

Granted they had officially been together for five years, though they spent much of those years apart. But that didn't matter to Alison because every second she was away from Emily, the blonde ached for her and she knew the brunette felt the same way.

Getting married wasn't going to necessarily change that because both of their jobs required them to travel, sometimes for very long periods of time, in Emily's case. But it only made Alison more positive that she wanted Emily as her wife.

Emily vaguely heard the cheers around them as she lost herself in the feel and taste of her now fiancé.

When Emily pulled her head back and looked Alison in the face again, a minute or so later, the blonde was smiling and blinking back tears.

"How did you?" the brunette started to ask and Alison released a breathy laugh.

"I have my ways," Alison replied, still smiling even though Emily stepped back slightly and dropped her hands from the blonde's face.

Alison grabbed her left hand and slid the emerald cut diamond on Emily's finger. It fit perfect and looked perfect just like Alison knew it would.

Sailors and their families were now all around them, the rest of the ship slowly disembarking. Emily reached up and brushed some of Alison's hair behind her ear.

"How long have you been planning this?" she asked unable to remove the grin from her lips.

"Since I saw you in Sydney." Emily looked surprised and it made the blonde smile. "I was going to ask you there. I had the ring and everything. But when we went out for drinks with your friends that night, and they mentioned the first kiss tradition, I knew I wanted to do it this way. I hope that's okay?"

"It's perfect," Emily said as she kissed Alison softly again. "You're perfect."

"Remember that the next time I piss you off," Alison smirked as she brushed her fingers over the back of Emily's hand.

"But how did you pull it off?"

Alison stepped closer and pressed her soft body against Emily's as she brushed her nose against Emily's cheek.

"I could tell you, baby," she purred. "But then it would take the mystique of it away." The blonde's eyes twinkled. "All you have to know is your Captain is a romantic at heart."

Emily chuckled before she stepped back and reached down to pick up the sunflowers. Alison pouted at the loss of her girl against her but she smiled as Emily stood back up holding the large bouquet in her arms.

"I was going to get roses but I know how much you love sunflowers," Alison said as she watched Emily bury her face in the large sunny blooms.

Emily grabbed Alison's hand and tugged the blonde against her again, kissing her softly once more.

"I thought you said you had to be in London for fashion week?" Emily accused.

Alison laughed as she gripped the sides of Emily's waist and pressed closer.

"Nope."

"You lied to me?" Emily tried to sound offended but it was weak at best.

"Yep," the blonde replied with no remorse in her tone. "And I've never been more grateful that you don't pay attention to shit like that. Fashion week ended last weekend, Em."

""I can't believe you did this, Ali," Emily sighed happily.

"Why?" Alison asked with a little pout but then her face turned serious. "I'd do anything for you."

And Emily knew she would. She rubbed her nose against Alison's gently.

"It's about time you made an honest woman out of me," Emily breathed against Alison's lips before she took them again in another soft kiss.

* * *

 **Five Years Later…..**

Emily hit send on the email of the day's flight logs to her CO and then looked up at the clock. It was almost time to go home. It had been one of those days, one of those weeks, actually, and it was only Wednesday. The last three days consisted of endless aerial drills, flight reports, and preparations for the RIMPAC exercises beginning at the end of the month and then the WestPAC cruise that was leaving immediately following.

And all the brunette wanted to do was just get home to her dogs and go for a swim.

As she straightened the papers on her desk, her eyes caught the glinting of her wedding rings and she smiled.

Two months after Alison proposed Emily was told she was being transferred to Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Hawaii. She was given three weeks liberty before she had to report so Alison immediately chartered a private plane and flew them, their families, and a handful of their closest friends to Paris, where they were married at the Eiffel Tower.

It was intimate, romantic and exactly what they both wanted. After the ceremony, Alison took Emily up to the top of the Eiffel Tower and kissed her new wife for the first time while the warm summer breeze whipped their hair around them. They had a brief nine day honeymoon in Paris and the French Riviera before Emily reported for duty at Pearl. Three months later Alison moved to Oahu after purchasing a five bedroom, six bathroom estate in Diamond Head.

The house was incredible, beautiful, and right on the beach. But it was always too big and empty when Alison was away.

Her wife was on a four week trip with shoots and shows in LA, New York, Paris and Rome, so Emily was going home to an empty house, with the exception of their two dogs, Frankie & Johnny. Alison had named the two large German Shepherds after the title of one of her all time favorite Elvis movies, the 1966 film of the same name.

Alison had been devastated when Pepe passed away two years prior after having battled cancer for several months. Her wife had been inconsolable until Emily suggested that perhaps Pepe would want them to find another dog to look out for and protect them.

Alison refused at first, unable to fathom having another dog that wasn't her beloved Pepe, but she finally agreed to a trip to the local shelter. And, in true Alison fashion, instead of coming home with one dog, they came home with two rescues.

Both dogs had been former police K-9's that were very attached to one another so they were required to be adopted together. They had been to two homes already but both times they had been returned for aggressive behavior. Like Pepe, Emily and Alison were their last stop because if they were returned again they were going to be put down.

But none of that mattered to Alison because she fell in love with them instantly upon setting eyes on them. And the feelings were one hundred percent mutual. The dogs worshiped the blonde. Not that Emily could blame them because she did as well.

As it turned out they were extremely gentle and playful when provided a loving and safe environment. But no matter how gentle and playful they were with the two of them, the dogs were fierce protectors, which made Emily feel more secure when she was away on deployment. She liked knowing that in addition to the military grade, hi-tech, security system that was installed on their property, the two dogs would protect her wife when she wasn't there.

Not that Alison needed protection. If there was any woman on the planet who could take care of herself, it was Alison DiLaurentis Fields. Though Alison remained a DiLaurentis professionally, she had taken Emily's name personally as soon as they were married. In fact, they both legally changed their names when they were married. Alison took Emily's last name and Emily added Alison's last name to her own by replacing her middle name.

Emily glanced at the photograph on the corner of her desk. It was of the two of them walking on the beach with Frankie and Johnny and had been taken not long after they'd adopted the dogs. The happiness shining in her wife's eyes was unmistakable. It was one of her favorite pictures of her and Alison, second only to their wedding picture, which graced the corner of her desk at home.

Both dogs were missing Alison almost as much as Emily was. It was hard on all three of them when the blonde was away. Emily's hours on the base were often long and unpredictable so she wasn't always able to go home during the day to let them out to do their doggy business. And Alison didn't like them left out all day in the hot Hawaiian sun. They lived on a private estate and because Alison's traveling had started picking up lately with three major campaigns occurring simultaneously, the blonde had a fenced enclosure built off the back patios. She had a doggy door installed through the wall in the family room that allowed them access to the outside but still kept them confined to the backyard of the property.

Like Pepe before them, Frankie and Johnny were spoiled and loved in the way only Alison DiLaurentis could love. And it was the most intense, pure and unconditional love a person or animal could ever hope to be on the receiving end of. And just thinking about her wife and the way she loved Emily made the brunette miss and ache for her even more.

Alison was due home, _finally_ , on Saturday and the weekend couldn't come soon enough as far as Emily was concerned. The base was hosting a fundraising dinner on Saturday night for the local homeless shelters and Emily had been drafted onto the planning committee. It had kept her busy while Alison was away but now she just wanted Saturday to be here and to have her wife home.

The knock on her office door came swiftly interrupting her thoughts.

"Enter," she called and the door opened to reveal Maggie and Liz, a recent graduate from aviator school in Pensacola.

"Hey boss," Maggie said to her as she sat in the chair. "Here are our reports," she added as she placed a small stack of papers on the desk

Emily arched her brow. "Maggie, I've told you not to call me that."

Emily had gotten a promotion three months earlier and was the leader of her own squadron, in which both Maggie and Liz were pilots. Only four percent of naval pilots were women. She and Maggie had known each other since flight school and were fortunate to have served in San Diego and on two deployments together. Three years after Emily was transferred to Pearl Harbor, Maggie was also transferred and Emily hand-picked her old friend to be in her squadron.

Liz, who graduated in the top of her class at Pensacola, was older than most recent graduates. She was a commercial pilot before deciding to enter the Navy at the age of twenty-eight. She may have been a newbie in the Navy but she was a damn good pilot and was assigned to Emily's squadron because of her experience in the cockpit. She'd only been there for a little over a month but she was starting to fit in nicely.

Maggie just grinned at Emily's scolding as both she and Liz took their seats in front of Emily's desk.

"I thought I said I wanted these a half hour ago," Emily said as she picked up the report and started to read it.

"Yeah, the printer in the ready room was acting up again," Liz said as Maggie drummed her fingers against the arms of the chairs.

Emily shot a quick look at Liz, over her glasses, before looking at Maggie again. "You're both dismissed. I'll see you both at oh six hundred."

"We were thinking of going to grab a pizza and beer," Liz said as neither she nor Maggie stood to leave. "Do you want to come along?"

Emily hummed in the negative. "No. Thanks anyway but I've got to get home."

"I thought your wife was out of town," Liz said and Emily looked up surprised.

"How the hell do you know that?" Maggie asked as she narrowed her eyes at the brunette beside her.

Liz shrugged. "I heard the two of you talking a few days ago."

"You know, eavesdropping is not cool, newbie," Maggie said only half joking and Emily chuckled under her breath as she looked back down at the report in front of her.

"I wasn't eavesdropping," Liz defended. "You don't exactly talk softly and I just happened to overhear," she said as she looked at Maggie pointedly, causing Emily to chuckle softly, again, because it was the truth. Maggie was anything but quiet.

Maggie scoffed and shoved Liz's arm. "Relax, I'm just giving you shit. But quit listening to my and the Lieutenant Commander's convos," the brunette warned in a no nonsense tone.

"So why don't you come along?" Liz asked Emily again ignoring Maggie's warning. "We haven't all had a chance to get to know each other outside of here and it might be nice."

"Another time, perhaps," Emily replied as Maggie now gave Liz a once over and chuckled to herself.

"What?" Liz asked.

"You need to stop before you really embarrass yourself, girl. Em isn't interested in you."

Emily's brow furrowed as she flipped the page.

"I just asked if she wanted to come along. I'm not hitting on her," Liz exclaimed defensively.

"And why not? What's wrong with Top Gun?" Maggie asked, using her nickname for Emily. Of course the Navy's Top Gun program was long defunct but Emily was one of the best pilots in the Navy and was recognized as such. She'd received numerous medals for her flying both in reconnaissance and combat. And Maggie just liked to tease Emily because it always made her blush.

"Maggie, stop giving her a hard time," Emily murmured as she flipped to the next page of the report.

"You do realize she's married to a super model, right?" Maggie asked as she looked at Liz.

"Huh?" Liz looked confused.

"I'm not just talking a beautiful woman," Maggie continued as her lips curved into a smirk. "I'm talking a real super model. Like magazine covers, billboards, Paris runway super model."

"Are you serious?" Liz asked with a shocked tone but then she sputtered to try to cover. "I didn't mean that the way it came out."

"I get what you meant," Emily replied with a quirk of her lips. "I think," she added.

"I mean I'm not surprised you'd be with an incredibly beautiful woman, I just didn't realize," Liz paused for a moment before she asked. "Who is she?"

"You ever hear of Alison DiLaurentis?" Maggie asked and her smirk widened as she lifted the picture frame from the corner of Emily's desk and turned it around so Liz could see it.

"Get the fuck out of here," Liz said as her mouth dropped open and she grabbed the frame to get a closer look.

"Don't tell me, you didn't mean that the way it came out either?" Emily said drolly as she rolled her eyes.

"You're married to Alison DiLaurentis?" Liz asked rhetorically, and then murmured to herself. "Damn."

"Damn is right," Maggie said as she grabbed the picture back and returned it to the desk. "So you can just get over your little crush and move on because you will never be able to compete with Super Star."

"Maggie," Emily scolded quietly. "I told you to stop calling her that."

Maggie just laughed but didn't respond.

Emily could feel Liz's eyes on her. "Damn," the brunette said again. "I remember seeing an interview with her once where she said she was married to a female Naval Officer. But she wouldn't say anything more; just that her private life was private."

"We try keep a low profile because of my security clearance," Emily said, not sure why she was even offering that information up.

"What a minute," Liz said as her eyes lit up and she slapped the arm of the chair. "Whoa. Now I know where I saw you before." Emily looked up and she and Maggie shared a look. "That video that went viral a few years ago of Alison DiLaurentis proposing to her girlfriend on the San Diego pier. That was you. Alison DiLaurentis. Fuck!" Liz said as she chuckled. "So much for low profile."

"Why do you keep using her full name?" Maggie asked with a frown.

"What do you expect me to call her?" Liz asked.

"You can call her Super Star," Maggie replied matter-of-factly and she grinned again. "Because that's who she is."

"Maggie," Emily warned again as she shot an annoyed look at her friend but Maggie just shrugged and kept grinning.

"Damn," Liz said for a third time. "Will she be at the charity banquet on Saturday?"

Emily flipped to the last page of the report. "Yes," she said absently.

"Get that smirk on your face, girl," Maggie said as she narrowed her eyes again. "Super Star will have even less interest in you than Em. And once she knows you're lusting after her wife the authorities will never find where she stashes your dismembered body."

Emily's lips curved up on the side because she thought it was cute that Maggie was defending her virtue.

"I'm not lusting after my superior officer, Maggie," Liz said before shrugging. "No offense," she added with a look toward Emily.

"You're saying that to me a lot today," Emily murmured as she picked her pen up and signed the last page of the flight report.

"You don't fuck with Alison 'Super Star' DiLaurentis," Maggie warned.

"That's it," Emily said as she put the report on her desk, tired of listening to the two of them chattering. "You can both get out of my office now. Thanks for the invite, Liz, but I'm going to pass. Maybe another time," Emily finished noncommittally.

Liz nodded her head and stood. "I'm going to go get my bag. Where are we going?" She directed her question at Maggie.

"Mike said everyone is meeting at The Barefoot Bar."

"I'll see you there. Night boss," Liz said to Emily before walking out.

"Did she just call you boss?" Maggie said as she choked out a laugh. "Where the fuck does she get off calling you that?"

Emily sat back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest with a scowl. "Because she hears you call me that all the time, which by the way you need to stop when other people are around."

"I'm allowed to call you that because you love me."

"If Steve hears you we're both going to get chewed out and probably written up," Emily said referring to their commanding officer. "Then _you'll_ be the one who needs to fear my wife."

"Whatever," Maggie rolled her eyes. "Super Star loves me almost as much as you do. But I do think I'm gonna have to school that girl,' Maggie said referring to Liz. "She's starting to get on my last nerve."

"You should lighten up on her a little," Emily said. "She's nice enough and just trying to find her way here."

"I don't give a fuck," Maggie said. "I don't like her creeping on you."

Emily laughed.

"And neither will _Super Star_ ," Maggie said once again emphasizing her nick name for Alison.

Emily tossed the report across her desk to Maggie.

"She hates it when you call her that, you know."

Maggie's lips curved into a grin. "I know. That's why I do it."

"You and Liz better not be hung over in the morning. You're going to be in the air all day tomorrow. Now get out of my office. And drop that report off to Steve before you go," Emily said as she pulled her bottom drawer open and grabbed her purse out of it.

"Yes, ma'am," Maggie said as she stood up and tucked her report under her arm. "Are you really not going to come out with us? Please don't make me go alone," the brunette pleaded rather pathetically.

"You couldn't pay me enough," Emily snorted. "I have to go home to my dogs."

"You've become a major killjoy since you got your promotion, you know," Maggie pouted.

Before Emily could respond, her cell phone inside her purse started to ring.

"Tell Super Star I can't wait to see her," Maggie smirked as she turned and walked out of Emily's office, closing the door behind her.

Emily pulled out her phone and saw that, indeed, it was her wife's face smiling at her. Her lips curved upward as she slid her finger across the screen and lifted it to her ear.

"Hi, sweetheart."

##############

Emily sat at a table with Maggie, Liz, Mike and his wife Tina, Colton and his husband Bruce, and Anna and her girlfriend Rosie. The banquet was in full swing and dinner was set to be served in fifteen minutes. Emily glanced at her watch eagerly awaiting the arrival of her wife.

"I hope Alison makes it in time for dinner," Tina said as she rubbed her eight months pregnant belly.

Emily smiled. "Her flight got delayed at LAX during her layover but she landed a few minutes ago."

"Oh, good. She's gonna make it, then?" Colton asked excited, which only made Bruce laugh beside him. Gay men loved Alison, almost more than straight men. Even though he was very happily married to Bruce, Colton openly admitted he had a crush on the blonde, like half the men and women of the world.

But Emily was long used to that.

"Yeah," she nodded as she took a sip of her wine, her smile widening as she was unable to conceal her delight that her wife was only minutes away.

"Why didn't you pick her up at the airport?" Bruce asked as he reached over and ran his fingers through Colton's short hair.

"I couldn't leave," Emily sighed, sorry she'd agreed to be on the planning committee because otherwise she would have been able to pick Alison up.

"Please, Super Star doesn't need Em to pick her up," Maggie tutted teasingly. "She's got a car at her beck and call all the time."

"Maggie," Emily sighed because her friend already had a few drinks and when she did she always got mouthy. Maggie reminded Emily of Hanna that way, and it was one of the reasons she loved Maggie so much, but the brunette had a feeling her wife wasn't going to be in the mood for Maggie's teasing after her long trip.

A flurry of activity erupted near the entrance to the ballroom. Emily didn't need to look over to see what, or rather who, was causing it. When Alison walked into a room, without fail, both men and women stopped to watch her. That was another thing Emily was long used to but she didn't mind. She knew Alison liked the attention, soaked it up like the sun, even though it was just superficial.

But her wife always focused all her attention on her.

Emily looked up and caught Alison's eyes. The blonde was smiling and her eyes were twinkling as she made her way across the room. But despite the attention she was receiving, as always, she only had eyes for Emily.

Alison was wearing a silver ball gown that hugged her in all the right places, falling like a waterfall around her legs. She had diamonds glinting in her ears and around her neck and her hair hung in long blonde ringlets down her back and over her shoulders. As usual, her makeup was perfect for the occasion, just enough but never too much.

She did not look like a woman who just stepped off an airplane after traveling halfway around the world. She was perfection, as always, and Emily felt her body flush with love and desire for her wife, painfully reminded that it had been over four weeks since she'd seen her.

"Whoa," Liz said slowly.

"Tell me about it," Colton drawled from beside her but Emily only vaguely heard them as she focused all her attention on her wife.

Alison walked up to the table and Emily stood up to greet her. Alison's eyes hungrily drank in the sight of her wife. The brunette was dressed in a long black dress with a slit that went halfway up her thigh. For formal occasions, officers had the option to wear formalwear over their Dinner Dress Blues. While her wife looked absolutely stunning in the gown, with her long mahogany hair loose and flowing, part of Alison was disappointed because seeing her wife in her dress uniform always made the blonde want to jump her instantly.

God she had fucking missed her mermaid.

"Hi baby," she murmured softly as she reached for Emily's hand, entwining their fingers as she squeezed gently. What she really wanted to do was hurl herself at her wife and kiss her breathless but this was not the time or the place. The military accepted same sex couples and had for years, but the kind of kiss Alison wanted to give her wife was not appropriate for the venue regardless of who was present.

"Hi love," Emily replied softly as she tugged Alison closer for a quick kiss, sliding their entwined hands behind Alison's back. But before their lips could connect Maggie's voice rang out from beside them.

"Hey Super Star!"

Annoyed by the distraction Alison narrowed her eyes and glared over at Emily's closest friend.

"Maggie, don't make me stab you in front of my wife's superiors," Alison growled but she was too happy to be home with Emily to let Maggie's teasing get to her.

The group around the table laughed, long used to Alison and Maggie's squabbling.

"Is it wrong that it makes me tingle when you threaten me," Maggie teased and Emily shot her friend a look as Alison leaned into her again.

"They'd never find your body, you know," Alison said so casually that anyone who didn't know her might wonder if she was serious or not.

"See, I told you," Maggie laughed as she elbowed Liz beside her, but Emily noticed Liz didn't even flinch she was so mesmerized by the blonde.

"Where's Steve?" Alison asked, inquiring about Emily's CO as she let her nose brush softly against her wife's cheek. She inhaled the familiar and much loved scent of her wife and she had to bite back a moan.

"I think he stepped outside," Emily said as she turned back to look at the blonde.

"Good," Alison said and she pressed her lips against Emily's and kissed her wife softly, yet firmly.

Emily smiled against her lips and released Alison's fingers, slipping her arm around her waist and pulling her closer. Alison hummed and slid both of her arms around Emily's waist for a quick hug before their kiss broke.

"I fucking missed you," Alison breathed, finally feeling at peace again.

"I missed you too sweetheart," Emily replied as she guided Alison to the chair next to hers. "I'm so glad you're home."

Alison sat down and immediately grabbed Emily's hand underneath the table, entwining their fingers again.

"You haven't met Liz, have you _Ali_?" Maggie asked, emphasizing Alison's name and Emily reached over and pinched Maggie's thigh in warning.

"Hey," Maggie scowled as she slapped Emily's hand away.

Alison looked over and her lips pursed. Emily had told her about Liz and how Maggie was convinced she had a crush on her wife. Although Alison knew she had nothing to be worried about, she couldn't help the flare of jealousy that spread through her like wildfire.

"Hi Ali," Liz said as she smiled and held out her hand for Alison to shake.

"It's Alison," Alison replied as she looked at Liz's hand then back up at her face.

Emily brushed her thumb soothingly against the back of Alison's other hand which was still in her lap.

"So, you're the new pilot who has a crush on _my wife_ , huh?" Alison said bluntly as she glared at the brunette. Emily choked on sip of wine she'd just taken in response to Alison's question as Liz dropped her hand.

"God I fucking love your wife," Maggie whispered, laughing, as she leaned close to Emily's ear, but she wasn't the least bit quiet about it.

Alison turned her glare on Maggie and Emily sighed wishing once again this night would be over so she could take Alison out of there and welcome her home properly.

#############

Emily stepped out onto the ballroom balcony in search of her wife. The blonde had wandered off after her CO, Steve, had asked her to dance with him. He was completely smitten with Alison, as most men were, but in a fatherly way. He was in his early sixties and set for retirement in three years but he joked he may reconsider staying around as long as it meant he could see Alison on a regular basis.

Emily found Alison, Steve, and his wife, Janet, all laughing as they stood next to the balcony railing. Alison and Janet had taken a liking to each other, when they met three years ago, and kept each other company when Emily and Steve were on deployment.

"Hi beautiful," Alison greeted, smiling, as Emily walked up to them. "We were just talking about you."

"Uh oh, I'm not sure I like the sound of that," Emily said as she slid her arm around Alison's waist. Her wife leaned into her side gently and she felt the blonde relax against her.

"Ali was telling us about your honeymoon," Janet said as she smiled.

"And how she convinced you to go skinny dipping off the yacht you were renting," Steve said as he arched his brow and, for one brief moment, Emily felt like she was being gently scolded by her father.

"Only to have the French maritime police arrest you for indecent exposure," Janet finished as she continued to chuckle.

"I managed to talk them into only giving us a warning," Alison said rather proudly as she grinned.

"If anyone could do it, it's you, dear," Janet said indulgently as she patted Alison's arm.

"You always have to tell people that story," Emily pouted and Alison couldn't resist the urge to kiss the corner of her mouth.

"Awwww, baby, it was funny."

"You're both coming over for dinner on Sunday," Janet said rather than asked because clearly that decision had been made before Emily interrupted. "Not tomorrow because you need some time to catch up, but next week," Janet added as she winked at Emily and Alison saw the faint hint of a blush in her mermaid's cheek.

The blonde felt a rush of love for her wife. Like Alison once said, Emily Fields was sexy in the sheets and shy in the streets.

"Come on, Steve," Janet said as she slid her hand into the crook of his arm and tugged gently. "Let's leave these two girls alone. It's time you danced with your wife."

"Yes, dear," he murmured obediently as he smiled.

"I'll see you on Wednesday for lunch," Janet said to Alison as she patted her arm again. "I want to try the new restaurant at Turtle Bay."

Alison agreed with a smile and Steve and Janet walked away, giving them a little privacy.

"She loves you," Emily said as she smiled.

Alison tilted her face up and pressed against the brunette. "Do you love me?" she breathed as she nuzzled Emily's cheek again.

Emily turned her face and brushed her lips against her wife's ear. "With every breath I take."

Alison's pulled back and her eyes were dark pools of blue. The blonde's eyes could give the ocean a run for its money when it came to fathomless beauty.

"Can we leave yet?" Alison asked as her fingers pressed into Emily's hip.

"Why would you want to leave? You're having so much fun making fun of me," Emily pretended to pout again and it just made Alison laugh.

She nuzzled Emily's cheek again and murmured softly. "All I want to do is get you naked and beneath me."

"God, Ali," Emily moaned as she pulled Alison closer so very glad to have her wife in her arms again.

"It's been long enough, Lieutenant Commander. You need to take your wife home and fuck her until she passes out."

Emily groaned softly at the images Alison's words invoked and she once again cursed herself for agreeing to plan the fundraiser because it meant she had to stay until the end.

############

Two and a half hours later, Alison sat, naked, astride Emily's hips, as she rolled her own in slow circles, grinding and rubbing on her wife's mound exactly the way they both loved.

Emily's fingers pressed into the soft flesh of Alison's hips as she rocked her hips in tandem. Her dark eyes were almost black with desire as she looked up at the woman above her, the woman she loved beyond comprehension.

She watched raptly as Alison smiled seductively down at her, a smile that was Emily's alone. The fingers of one of Alison's hands were cupping and teasing her left breast while the fingers of the other were buried between her thighs, alternating between flicking Emily's clit and her own.

"Em," she moaned long and low and Emily decided she had enough of her wife's teasing. She sat up and wrapped her lips around Alison's neglected nipple. "Baby, yes," Alison's moan got longer and lower. She lifted both of her hands and slid them into Emily's long glorious chocolate locks and arched her back. Her head fell back in surrender as she offered her body up for her wife's pleasure.

Emily slipped her hand between them and pushed Alison's hand away, taking over where the blonde left off. As her fingers brought them both closer to climax, Alison lifted her head. She pulled Emily's mouth away from her breast and brought her wife's lips to her own for a long slow deep kiss.

"I love you," Alison breathed into Emily's mouth as she rocked her hips and pressed down against her wife's fingers. Emily slipped her finger inside her wife, using the pad of her thumb to continue flicking against Alison's clit.

"Come for me, love," Emily murmured against Alison's lips and as it so often did at her wife's command, the blonde's body rolled into a long orgasm. She trembled on top of Emily, panting into her mouth.

When her orgasm subsided, Alison tore her lips away from Emily's and pushed the brunette back onto the mattress. She scooted down her wife's legs and spread her thighs easily as Emily leaned up on her elbows to watch the blonde.

Alison settled on her stomach between Emily's legs and lifted her wife's thigh over her shoulder. She gently sucked the soft skin of her inner thigh letting the scent of Emily's arousal surround her.

She felt Emily's fingertips against her cheek and she turned her face and kissed them before nipping the pad of her middle finger gently.

"Ali," Emily moaned softly and the blonde grinned as she lowered her mouth to her wife's sex. The brunette was swollen and wet and Alison swept her tongue through Emily's arousal, moaning at the familiar salty, sweet and slightly tangy taste.

With a long low moan Alison dove in and devoured her wife as Emily gasped, threading her fingers through her wife's long blonde hair. Alison slid one hand under Emily's ass and tilted her hips up as she slid her tongue lower, fucking the brunette with her tongue before she slipped first one, then a second finger inside her.

Emily bucked her hips gently, panting and moaning as she tugged gently on Alison's hair with one hand, while the other tugged on her own nipple.

Alison wrapped her lips around Emily's clit and sucked hard as she flicked her tongue against the tip. Her fingers continued to pump gently into her wife's depths until she was knuckle deep.

Emily chanted Alison's name as the blonde brought her to a swift and mind blowing orgasm with her tongue and fingers.

Emily arched her back and her eyes rolled back as her climax slammed into her. She tightened her thighs around her wife's head as her body trembled before finally relaxing and settling back on the mattress as her thighs fell open.

Alison smiled as she soothed Emily's tender flesh with gentle sweeps of her tongue. The brunette continued to pant gently as she caught her breath and Alison slowly kissed her way up her wife's glorious body, finally settling on top of her.

Emily opened her eyes to find her wife grinning triumphantly down at her before the blonde lowered her lips and kissed the brunette long and soft and deep.

Emily wrapped her arms and legs around Alison as the kiss ended and the blonde buried her face in the brunette's neck.

"I hate being away from you," Alison murmured softly against Emily's skin.

Emily involuntarily flinched as she replied. "Me too, sweetheart."

Alison lifted her head and looked down at Emily questioningly. "Why are you flinching when you say that?"

She could see the remorse in her wife's eyes and Alison knew, instantly, what Emily was going to say.

She was being shipped out.

"When?" she asked with a frown.

"Three weeks."

"Three weeks?" Alison screeched as she pushed up and settled on her knees between Emily's thighs.

"The orders just came in last week."

"You've known for a week?" Alison eyes flashed angrily, the high from bringing her wife to orgasm long gone now. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to tell you over the phone," Emily admitted honestly as she pushed on her hands and sat up.

"How long?" Alison asked, not taking her eyes off Emily's face.

"Six months," Emily replied as she cringed internally.

"Six months?" Alison screeched again as she scooted backwards and stood up, reaching for her silk kimono hanging on the bedpost. "Wait a minute, I though RIMPAC only lasted six weeks?"

Held every two years, RIMPAC was the world's largest multinational maritime exercise that took place in and around the Hawaiian Islands. Twenty-two nations, forty-nine surface ships, six submarines, more than two hundred aircraft and twenty-five thousand personnel participated in the unique training exercise that helped participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that were critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans.

"It does," Emily replied as she slid to the edge of the mattress and reached for Alison's hand. "Once RIMPAC is over, we'll immediately leave for another WestPAC cruise."

"Motherfucker," Alison spat angrily as she tugged her hand out of Emily's and started pacing beside the bed. "Where are they sending you?"

"The gulf." Emily stood up. "Ali," she started to say.

"Don't," Alison replied as she held up her hand. "I knew what I was getting in to when I married you. Being a navy wife really sucks sometimes."

"Being married to a super model sucks sometimes too," Emily reminded gently because Alison traveled much more often than she did. Her trips were usually only a few weeks, at a time, but they were much more frequent.

Alison sighed and looked at her wife. "I guess I should tell Marco I can do his new campaign. I was going to turn him down so I could stay home for a while but I'll get to spend a couple of those months in Europe, I guess."

"I'm sorry, love," Emily said although they both knew the apology was not because she had to go, it was her job after all, but because she never wanted to be away from her wife.

"I know," Alison said softly. "Me too."

Emily walked over to the dresser and pulled out a pair of sleep shorts and tank top.

"Em?" Alison said from behind her.

"Yeah." Emily tugged her tank top over her head and turned around. She found her wife gently biting her bottom lip.

"After this tour do you think they'll keep you on land for a while?"

Emily stepped closer and slid her arms around Alison's waist, tugging her wife against her gently. "There's no guarantee, but probably. Steve said he didn't even want to let me go on this one but they need someone with my intelligence experience."

"Good," Alison said as she slid her arms around Emily and pressed her face into the brunette's neck, sighing. Emily smiled and pressed a soft kiss to Alison's forehead. "Because I think I'm going to retire," Alison murmured against Emily's skin and the brunette's body stilled as her wife's words sunk in.

"Retire?"

Alison nodded.

"Why?" Emily asked and Alison lifted her head to look in her wife's eyes.

"Because I want to have your baby."

* * *

 **Five Years Later…..**

Emily heard the high pitched squeal from the beach just as she stepped onto the back deck. Aden was splashing at the water's edge, with Frankie and Johnny, while Alison sat under a wide umbrella only a few feet away. Emily smiled because her wife was so predictable. He skin was so fair, the blonde could only stay in the sun for short periods of time or she would burn. But she loved the beach and the ocean so she had permanent, oversized umbrellas installed into the sand of the private beach in their backyard.

Fortunately Aden got Emily's complexion so he tanned easily just like the brunette, although because he was a toddler his skin was still too delicate to spend much time in the sun. But he inherited both of his mothers' love for the ocean so Emily found her wife and son under those umbrellas more days than not.

To say that Emily was shocked when Alison had told her she wanted to have her baby would not have been near adequate to describe how she felt. She and Alison had discussed children in very abstract terms and Emily always thought she wanted them more than the blonde did. But Emily should have known better because when her wife made up her mind, not even an act of God could deter her.

Alison didn't want to have her own biological children. The memory and the knowledge of the extent of Charles's mental illness were too frightening to contemplate, though both Jason and Alison were fine. But the blonde wanted to feel like their children were both of theirs so she proposed being the surrogate. Emily readily agreed, willing to give Alison anything within her power, as long as it meant they had family together.

While Emily was on her WestPAC cruise Alison researched and found a donor who met her very strict specifications. Physically he was Alison in male form and his immediate family had no history of mental illness for at least two generations.

Alison agreed to Marco's campaign and then retired from modeling. Everyone told her she was crazy because she was only thirty-three but she didn't care. She'd earned more money than she could spend in two lifetimes and she was tired of all the traveling and being away from Emily, who it looked like would be stationed at Pearl Harbor for the foreseeable future since she'd earned another promotion once she returned from deployment.

It took two attempts but she became pregnant only a few months after Emily came home. Unfortunately she suffered a miscarriage early in her first trimester. When it was safe, she was inseminated again and became pregnant immediately.

When she was almost six months along, Donna Karan, who Alison had done a handful of campaigns with over the years, was launching a new maternity line. She ran into the blonde and Emily at a charity event on Oahu and she begged Alison to come out of retirement and be the face of it.

Alison politely declined. But they offered her an obscene amount of money and agreed to hold all the photo shoots for the campaign on Oahu so Alison didn't have to travel. She was only required to make three appearances, New York, London and Paris fashion weeks, and they fell late in her sixth month so she was back home in more than enough time to give birth.

Now that almost eighteen months old child was running around wet and happy as his mother called after him.

"Aden, come back over and sit with mama. Don't you want to finish our sandcastle?"

"No!" Aden said before he went back to splashing in the water and Emily held back a chuckle. He was hitting the terrible twos and he'd just started openly defying Alison.

In everything.

Even if he wanted something he said no just for the sake of saying no. Although Alison had been handling it well, all things considered, her patience was starting to wear thin lately. But that was to be expected.

Emily slipped her shoes and socks off and then released her hair from the knot behind her head, shaking the long strands loose. She walked off the deck and across the small area of grass behind the house before the yard was taken over by sand. Emily loved that they had their own private beach, and though they had a pool, Emily swam in the ocean almost every morning before heading to the base, preferring the salt water over the chlorine.

Aden looked over at Alison as she called him again. "Aden, I'm going to decorate the castle in polka dots if you don't come back here and help me," the blonde said with a slightly petulant tone.

Aden's "no" rang out again and this time Emily's chuckle slipped out. Aden hated anything with polka dots. It was the weirdest thing. One day Alison wore a polka dot sundress and Aden cried and refused to go to her even to breast feed. When she tried to hold him he squirmed and kicked and wriggled out of her arms. Only when she changed out of the dress did he stop crying. By then he was extremely hungry but he retaliated by suckling Alison hard, pinching her breast as he did so.

When Emily got home from the base, Alison had told her what happened. But when Emily doubted her, she showed her wife her bruised breasts and then put the dress back on, causing Aden to flip out again. Needless to say Alison quickly donated the few items of clothing she owned that had anything resembling polka dots.

Both Alison and Aden looked over when they heard Emily's familiar laugh. Frankie and Johnny started barking and ran over to greet her, weaving their wet furry bodies around her legs. She reached down and patted the dogs before they ran off again to the edge of the water.

"Mama, mama," Aden called as he toddled over to greet Emily, wrapping his arms around her now drenched legs as she stepped up beside Alison.

"Well hello there, Captain Fields," Alison purred as she smiled up at her wife.

"Hello wife," Emily greeted warmly as she leaned down and lifted Aden into her arms.

Alison's smile turned into an annoyed smirk because Emily knew she hated it when the brunette called her that.

"How's my baby boy?" Emily asked as she blew raspberries on the little boy's tummy making him giggle.

"You're home early," Alison said as she shifted to the edge of the lounger and stood up.

"The jets needed to go in for scheduled maintenance so Steve kicked me out a few hours early."

Alison stepped closer to her wife, feeling a familiar tingling low in her abdomen.

"I love your boss so much sometimes," she murmured as she pressed her mouth to Emily's.

Emily smiled against her lips and returned the kiss as Aden reached up and slapped both of their cheeks.

"No," he said but Alison reached up and grabbed one of his hands.

"You don't hit, Aden," Alison scolded as Emily gave the little boy a stern look.

"No," he whined as he attempted to pull his hand away before burying his face in Emily's neck and started to fuss.

"Did he take his nap this afternoon?"

Alison shook her head but refrained from using the "no" word as she ran her fingers through her son's light brown hair gently, attempting to sooth him.

"Why not?' Emily asked as she shifted him to her other arm so she could slide her hand along Alison's hip and pull her a little closer.

Alison instantly purred in response to her wife's touch. "Because I was experimenting."

"With what? Children don't do well with changes to their routine, Ali. No wonder he's so cranky."

Aden continued to fuss as he stuck his thumb in his mouth, resting his head on Emily's shoulder.

Alison ignored her wife's gentle scolding; instead she nuzzled Emily's cheek softly. "I want him to be able to stay up for the fireworks tomorrow night so I thought if I pushed his nap time until late afternoon then he'd be okay until about nine or ten." Alison pulled her head back and looked at Emily, her eyes dark and flashing with heat. "But now all I want is for him to go to sleep so you can fuck me," she breathed.

Emily chuckled at the throaty, sultry tone of Alison's voice and she placed her hand on Alison's swollen stomach. Her wife was four months pregnant and pregnancy made the blonde twice as horny as normal and that was saying something.

"How are you both feeling?" the brunette asked as she felt Alison shudder in response to the gentle caresses of her fingers.

"I stopped puking about a half hour after you left this morning," she admitted with a shrug.

"I'm sorry you're having such a bad time with morning sickness this time, love," Emily said as she reached up and brushed some hair behind Alison's ear.

"It's not much worse than it was with Aden. It's just lasting longer for some reason."

"Are you sure you're up for having guests this weekend?" Emily gently rocked her body as Aden's fussing lessened and she could tell he was starting to fall asleep.

"It's a little late to change our minds, isn't it?" Alison laughed. "Hanna, Aria and Spencer and their crews are going to be landing at the airport in five hours."

"We can make other arrangements for them," Emily said and she shuddered gently as Alison's fingers fiddled with the buttons on her work shirt.

"Where? It's the fourth of July, Em," Alison smirked as she felt her wife tremble so she slipped first one button through the hole before tugging on the snap of Emily's pants. "Every hotel on the island is booked."

"I'm sure we can find a place," Emily replied softly as she reached down and stopped her wife's wandering hands. She was still holding their son and she could now hear his even breathing, indicating that he'd fallen asleep.

"Emily," Alison said patiently and just as softly, having seen her baby boy drift off to sleep. She loved her wife for being worried for her but now she was just being silly. "We have six bedrooms and way more than enough room for all of them. They'll be sleeping in the other wing anyway."

Emily pressed her lips to Alison's temple and the blonde moaned softly.

"Can we go inside now and put him in his room before you take me to ours and strip me naked?"

"I can't believe you want to put our son down for a nap so-"

"You can fuck me before our friends get here?" Alison breathed the words. "Yes I do and if that makes me a bad mother, I don't care."

Emily chuckled because she knew Alison wasn't serious. In fact, being a good mother was something Alison worked very hard at.

"Fuck," Aden murmured softly, letting them both know he wasn't exactly asleep yet, and he lifted his head from Emily's shoulder.

"No, baby," Alison said as she reached up again and ran her fingers through his hair gently. "That's a bad word."

Emily shook her head. "He's going to say that in front of the wrong person one day and then you'll finally be more careful."

"Shut up and take me to bed, Captain," Alison said unrepentantly before she grasped her wife's wrist and slid the brunette's fingers right into her bikini bottoms.

Emily moaned softly at the hot and wet feel of her wife against her fingers.

"Come on, Aden," Emily said as she pulled her hand back and turned to carry her sleepy son into the house. "Let's take a nap, baby boy."

Alison smirked. She always knew exactly what to do to get her wife to do her bidding.

#############

Alison sat on the deck of the sixty five foot yacht anchored in Māmala Bay. They'd attended the 4th of July festivities at Ward Field but had returned to the boat for dinner and to relax and wait for the fireworks display that the Pearl Harbor base set off every year.

Alison swirled the liquid inside her wine glass as she watched Emily through the sliding glass doors of the salon, reading to Aden and Maddie, who was Hanna and Caleb's five year old daughter. The blonde was only drinking decaffeinated iced tea but she still insisted on drinking it out of a wine glass. She could at least pretend she could drink like the others.

The sun had just dropped below the horizon and the fireworks over Waikiki Beach, which they could see from their mooring, would be starting soon.

Hanna dropped down in the chair beside her, clinking her glass against Alison's gently.

"I gotta say, Ali, you and Em sure know how to throw a 4th of July bash."

Alison just smirked and took another sip of her tea, disappointed that some of Hanna's wine hadn't jumped over into her glass.

"This monstrosity is one of your best purchases, I have to say," Hanna said as she took a sip of her wine.

"Try to convince Em of that. She's still pissed at me for it."

"How can a sailor not want a yacht for her birthday?" the blonde asked with a roll of her eyes.

"Probably because, for the past fifteen years, she's lived on a ship for six to ten months every couple of years."

Hanna shrugged. "I guess. I can't believe you named her _The Flying Mermaid_ ," the blonde snickered.

Now Alison shrugged as she grinned. "I thought it was cute. Em…eh…not so much."

"Well it's fab. Screw her."

Alison chuckled but the thought of doing just that sounded pretty damn good about now. Her pregnant hormones were wreaking havoc with her body and even though Emily made her come twice in the shower less than six hours ago, the blonde was aching for her wife's touch again. She shook her head before those thoughts went too far and she dragged Emily down below deck to fuck her.

"When she retires, I think she'll be glad we have it," Alison said just as a girl in her early twenties walked up to them.

"Excuse me Mrs. Fields, the captain says the fireworks will be starting in ten minutes."

"Thanks, Lilia," Alison replied before looking back over at Emily in the salon. Her wife looked so content with the two children sitting on either side of her while she read to them. It was moments like these that Alison fell in love with her wife all over again. "Please tell Emily so she doesn't miss them."

Lilia nodded before she walked away.

"How big of a crew does this boat have?" Hanna asked and Alison looked over at her.

"Six plus the captain," Alison said as she looked up to where she could hear the rest of their families and friends talking and laughing. Aria and Ezra and their three kids, Spencer and Toby and their daughter, Caleb, with his and Hanna's son, and Maggie and her fiancé, Dan, were convened on the upper deck waiting for the fireworks.

"Nice," Hanna nodded her head appreciatively. "I think you should let me and Caleb borrow it sometime."

"It's Em's yacht, Hanna; you'll have to ask her."

"Oh, I will, you can count on that," Hanna said as she took another sip of her wine. "So, speaking of Em retiring, she tells me that you've been talking about it."

Alison nodded slowly. "She's been in the navy for twenty years. She qualifies for retirement now but I'm not sure she's ready yet. She loves flying but she doesn't have much of an opportunity anymore. She supervises more training now."

"She said she has to give them an answer by the end of the summer," Hanna said casually before waving up at her son who was excitedly waving down at her.

Alison sighed. "Yeah, because they're talking about sending her TAD to the South Pacific."

"But you've got a baby coming in five months?"

"I know that, Hanna," Alison snapped. "We both do."

Hanna didn't flinch at Alison's tone. They'd known each other too long.

"She said she doesn't want to go away any more. She missed too much of Aden's first year."

Alison smiled sadly. "I don't think she'll ever forgive herself for missing it."

"She had no choice," Hanna said in her wife's defense and if Alison wasn't so anxious about the whole thing she would have reacted more calmly.

Instead she replied abruptly. "That still doesn't assuage the guilt, Hanna."

"She also said there's a charter company she's met with."

"Are you going to give me a play by play of your conversation with her?" Alison huffed with annoyance. "I don't need to know everything you two talk about, you know."

"Retract your claws, kitty cat. I'm just making conversation."

Alison sighed. She knew Hanna didn't deserve to be snapped at but just talking about this was putting her in a foul mood. She and Emily had been discussing it for weeks and were still no closer to figuring out what to do. Alison wanted Emily to be happy and the brunette loved the Navy. But they were both fed up with being separated, especially now that they had a second child on the way.

"I'm sorry, Han. Blame my mood swings on her," Alison said as she pointed to her stomach.

Hanna laughed. "Leave it to you to throw your unborn daughter under the bus."

"Fuck you!" Alison said but there was no real heat behind it and Hanna just laughed harder.

"So, this charter company? What's the deal?" Hanna asked.

"Didn't Em tell you?"

Hanna shook her head. "We got interrupted by Aden and Maddie wanting their story."

Alison smiled because her wife was a sucker for their son.

"The airline does flights between the islands. She'd be able to fly again, which I know she really wants, and would still be home every night with us."

"What do you want her to do?" Hanna asked curiously.

"What do you think?" Alison shot her a look. "But it has to be her decision. The Navy is her life and has been for twenty years."

"You and Aden and this baby are her life, Ali," Hanna said gently as she reached over and put her hand on Alison's where it rested on the arm of the chair.

"I know," Alison said as she sighed again. And Alison did. She didn't want Emily to go away on deployment ever again but as long as the brunette remained in the Navy it would be inevitable. "But so is the Navy," she added because it was also the truth.

"Hey, do you still have your pilot's license?" Hanna asked, momentarily changing the subject.

Alison's lips curved. "Yep."

Hanna's eyes lit up. "Have the two of you ever flown together?"

"Yep," Alison said again.

Hanna's lips curved into a smirk. "Please don't tell me you fucked her when you were in the air. I might just have to be mortified and awed at the same time."

Alison laughed out loud. "Hanna, who would be flying the plane if we were fucking?"

"I have no doubt you'd find a way to violate Emily while she's sitting in the cockpit."

Now Alison's lips curved into a smirk but she refrained from either confirming or denying Hanna's words. And Hanna didn't need her to.

Hanna took the last sip of her wine and set the glass on the table in front of them. "So why didn't you get her a plane for her birthday instead of a boat?"

"We've owned a plane for years," Alison replied casually and Hanna snorted.

"You have way too much fucking money, Ali."

"I know," Alison murmured again. She didn't agree to be vain or rub it in Hanna's face. It was just a fact.

Alison reached over and put her hand on Hanna's now. Hanna looked at her questioningly.

"I've never said thank you."

"Damn right you haven't, bitch," Hanna replied jokingly, but then she looked a little baffled. "Wait never said thank you for what?"

Alison laughed softly before her face became serious again. "For inviting me to your wedding."

"Huh?" Hanna looked confused.

"If you hadn't I wouldn't have this life," Alison said honestly

"What the hell are you talking about? You're not drinking are you?"

Hanna pulled her hand out from under Alison's and plucked the glass of tea out of the blonde's other hand and proceeded to sniff it dramatically.

"Stop being a fucking pain in the ass, Hanna. I'm trying to be sincere here," Alison scowled as she grabbed the glass back from the blonde. "None of this means anything without her. Or Aden. Or this baby. None of it. And I wouldn't have them if it wasn't for you. So fucking thank you!" Alison's voice had raised an octave with each sentence she spoke so by the time she was finished she was practically yelling.

Maggie walked up and plopped down in the chair on the other side of Alison.

"Hey Super Star. Why are you yelling at blondie? Ow!" Maggie yelped when Alison reached out and pinched her arm hard. "What the fuck was that for?"

"I told you to stop fucking calling me that," Alison growled. She could feel eyes on her and knew everyone from the upper deck was looking down at her. Her eyes slid toward the direction of the salon and she saw Emily looking at her worriedly as she closed the book and started to gather Aden and Maddie up.

"Damn. I can't even use a term of endearment with you without you becoming violent," Maggie complained as she shook her arm.

"I'm over you fucking mocking me," Alison growled.

"Ali," Hanna said softly and Alison turned her head. All her aggravation and anger was gone now. That's just how her mood swings were these days.

But just for good measure she snapped. "What?"

"You're welcome," Hanna said as she smiled warmly and Alison's lips curved into a grateful smile.

Emily walked out of the salon carrying Aden and leading Madison by the hand. The little girl ran over to her mother and climbed on Hanna's lap.

Emily looked back and forth between the two blondes.

"Is everything alright here?" she asked and both Alison and Hanna nodded their heads as Maggie snorted out a short laugh.

"You never told me Super Star was violent." Maggie jumped out of her seat before Alison could reach for her again but Alison just scoffed as she rolled her eyes.

"Stop being such a pussy, I didn't pinch you that hard."

"I'm going back to my man. Control your woman, Em," Maggie smirked and walked away after blowing Alison a kiss, which the blonde responded to by flipping the brunette off.

"One of these days I'm going to push her overboard," Alison murmured to herself but Hanna heard her and laughed.

"Mama," Aden called to Alison as he wriggled in Emily's arms trying to get down.

Alison stood up and held her arms out. Emily handed Aden over and the little boy hugged Alison around the neck as she followed Emily to the love seat.

Alison pressed her nose into Aden's neck and inhaled the sweet baby scent of her little boy and she was filled with so much love for him it almost made her stagger. At one time, Alison never imagined she could love anyone more than she loved Emily. But the love she had for the boy in her arms was nothing like she ever imagined could exist.

Emily helped her to sit down and then sat beside her as Aden buried his face in Alison's neck the same way he did to Emily the previous day. The blonde settled him on her laps and ran her fingers through his hair again. She loved the feel of the baby's soft strands between her fingers.

"He's not going to make it, is he?" she murmured softly.

"I think the sound will wake him up again but he's pretty much down for the count," Emily agreed as she pulled her wife and son into her arms. Alison leaned against her and hummed softly as Emily kissed her ear.

"So much for my idea," the blonde lamented. "I took him off his schedule and tortured us all for no reason."

"Why were you yelling at Hanna?" Emily asked as she slid her hand up Alison's back to massage the back of her neck gently.

"Because she was pissing me off," Alison said as her eyes fluttered softly at her wife's gentle touch.

"Why?"

Alison looked over to see their friend pointing into the sky counting stars with her daughter. "Because I was trying to be sincere and thank her and she just kept being defiant."

"What were you thanking her for?" Emily asked as she gently rubbed Aden's calf as he fought to keep his eyes open.

"You," Alison looked the brunette and smiled at the confused look she had on her face.

"Huh?"

Alison's eyes softened as she looked at her wife. "I was thanking her for you," she said softly. "Well for inviting me to her wedding, which brought me back to you."

"She brought us back to each other," Emily said as she leaned forward and brushed her lips gently against her wife's.

Alison reached up and caressed her mermaid's cheek with her fingertips as she hummed into the kiss.

"I love you, Ali," Emily brushed her nose gently against Alison's as the kiss ended.

Alison held Emily's gaze as she smiled softly. "I love you and I love our life."

Emily pressed her lips to her wife's again, murmuring her agreement. The life she and Alison built together was beyond anything Emily ever imagined her life could be.

And there was nothing about them she would change.

Not their past because it made them both who they were.

Not their present because Emily had everything she ever wanted in her arms… her wife, her son and soon to be daughter.

And not their future because the best time of their lives was just beginning.

 ** _The End._**

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Thanks again for reading! ** _  
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